HEALTH bosses have rubber-stamped a major shake-up in the town's health -- despite 32 per cent of the town's GPs objecting to the moves.
Members of the Wigan and Bolton Health Authority have told the secretary of state that they will accept the new system of primary care trusts.
A democratic debate on setting up a primary care trust -- which will eventually take over the from health authority by 2002 -- came to Bolton in July.
A series of public meetings were staged across the town and a vote was taken by doctors.
Thirty two per cent of Bolton GPs said that they did not support the proposals to create a one borough-wide Primary Care Trust from April next year.
As already reported in the BEN, the PCTs intend to give GPs more power on local decision-making.
Yet GPs say that they are already overworked and do not have the time to cope with the extra demands on their busy schedules.
The PCTs will ultimately replace the health authority if government legislation gets the go-ahead.
A pool of professionals is already being put together to head up Bolton's Trust.
The North-west currently has 16 health authorities, but by next year, the government may reduce this to three -- with the Wigan and Bolton health authority being made defunct replaced by the PCTs.
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