AMBITIOUS plans for a new £6.1 million wing for children at the Royal Bolton Hospital have been boosted with the news that two children's hospitals are set to close.

Hospital chiefs have been working on an outline bid for regional planning chiefs to overhaul children's services at the Farnworth site.

And they hope the announcement last week to close the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital at Pendlebury and Booth Hall to move services to central Manchester will further boost their case.

Dr Peter Powell, consultant paediatrician and clinical director for children's health, says that when the children's facilities in Pendlebury eventually close, this will increase the numbers coming to Bolton -- the nearest hospital.

But they hope to have the improvements in place beforehand.

He added: "There will inevitably be more pressure from Salford children who will need to use Bolton's services so the announcement of the new hospital in Manchester is very relevant to our own bid. We should hear some time this year and we remain very hopeful."

They hope to spend around £6.1 million on the new unit which would be sited next to the special care baby unit.

It would house three children's wards, a new outpatient unit and a specially-designed adolescent unit.

If the plans are given approval, work will start within two to three years but it is hoped by releasing wards B1 and B2 at the Royal Bolton -- the current children's wards -- the Trust can also accommodate more adult medical patients.

Dr Powell added: "The children's facilities are currently in the old Victorian wing of the hospital and are very spread out. There are the two B wards -- then the surgical ward is at the other end of the hospital.

"This is geographically very inefficient and bringing everything under one roof would make working conditions much easier and a create a better environment for the children."