BOLTON health chiefs were today awaiting news of a massive Government plan which is expected to completely change the face of NHS care.

Prime Minister Tony Blair and Health Secretary Alan Milburn were this afternoon due to announce in the Commons the new national plan for the NHS which will set out how the Government hopes to modernise healthcare and where additional funding of £25 billion will be allocated.

The results come after a massive national consultation exercise where every member of NHS staff and every patient was given the opportunity to share their view on how services could be improved.

BEN readers even played their own part in the process after we launched a survey asking opinions on healthcare in the town.

Those responses were taken straight to the top for ministers to consider by Bolton North-east MP David Crausby.

Views expressed include the need for more local services to stop people travelling out of the area, more medical staff, more beds and shorter waiting times.

Health chiefs in the town today were unsure what would be announced, but were waiting with with interest to see how the plans will affect Bolton.

Mrs Brenda O'Driscoll, Director of service strategy for Wigan and Bolton Health Authority, said the early indications are the announcements could spell the biggest changes in the NHS since it was started in 1948.

She said: "We still do not know what the plan will contain, but we wait with interest."