PATIENTS could be transferred to two nursing homes in a bid to ease pressure on emergency beds at the Royal Bolton Hospital this Christmas.

Twelve beds are being provided at the two homes as stand-by cover -- freeing beds for trauma and emergency patients.

Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust is pioneering the plan this winter as a pilot scheme.

Millview Nursing Home, Bolton, and Rivington View in Horwich will provide nursing care for the elderly patients.

The scheme will create 12 spaces as patients are transferred to the two nursing homes.

John Walters, assistant head of nursing for medical and elderly, said: "From time to time, we have patients in hospital who no longer need medical treatment but have not yet had a place to be found for them in the long term in a nursing home.

"This project is all about giving them a continuous, quality service -- we will be ensuring they receive the care they need in a more appropriate place than in hospital.

"At the same time, it will help us free beds at busy times for patients who have urgent medical needs."

Social Services has been working closely with the NHS Hospitals Trust to pilot the project.

The move has been made in a bid to ease pressure on beds at the Royal Bolton Hospital. Every winter, admissions see a rise in the number of older people who need hospital care.

And Christmas also sees a rise in accident and emergency cases, as well as GP referrals, as the accident toll increases notoriously during the festive season.

The project will run until March and has already helped more than a dozen patients. Hospital staff will be monitoring the new move, working closely with Social Services, patients and their families.