HEALTH secretary John Reid will visit the Royal Bolton Hospital on Monday night as Government health ministers blitz Bolton.

A top team of health ministers and senior officials is visiting various NHS centres throughout Bolton on Monday and Tuesday.

They are also visiting other towns in Greater Manchester .

In just 24 hours, ten ministers will make 28 visits across seven towns.

Included in the visits are "staff engagement sessions" where health workers will get their chance to tell ministers their views on how the service is being run.

On Monday night Dr Reid will speak to staff at the Royal Bolton who keep services running around the clock.

Minister of State John Hutton will visit the Eye Unit at the hospital on Tuesday where he will deliver a new three-month waiting target for cataracts.

He will also launch the hospital's Clean Hands Campaign later in the day when a machine will test for bacteria on people's hands.

Also on Tuesday, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Fiona Adshead will meet staff, parents and community volunteers at the Johnson Fold neighbourhood project.

She is also to tour mental health facilities at the Rivington Unit at the Royal Bolton Hospital, where she will be invited to play a record on the new hospital radio station and meet staff and service users. In the afternoon she will find out about the role young people have played in developing the Parallel - Bolton's pioneering young people's health centre.

A local health service spokeswoman said: "We're delighted to have such an excellent opportunity to showcase to national decision-makers the excellent work that is going on in Bolton, involving partnership working both within the NHS and with other agencies.

"We're sure the visitors will also be impressed by the welcome they get in Bolton."

As well as the official visits, around 50 Bolton staff will get the chance to chat with John Hutton and Fiona Adshead at an informal question and answer session on Tuesday lunchtime.

The VIP visitors will also be touring hospitals, health centres and community health projects in Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Blackburn, Wigan and Burnley.