STAFF at the Royal Bolton Hospital are to hold an emergency to discuss management plans to make £8 million worth of cuts.

Representatives from staff groups across the hospital will meet today to discuss the savings plans, announced by management last month, which include the axing of 130 jobs and the closure of 68 beds.

All unions with workers at the hospital will be represented under the umbrella title of Staff Side. Damian Isherwood, communications manager for Unison, the biggest union at the hospital, said: "We will be discussing the cuts and the job losses and will be deciding the best way forward for the staff at the hospital as a whole."

Senior Unison members have already voted unanimously to ballot for industrial action if they consider it necessary, because they are horrified at the cuts being made at the hospital. They have also met with Bolton South-east MP, Brian Iddon, in a bid to gain his support for their opposition to the job cuts about 80 of which will be nursing staff and plan to meet with the two other Bolton MPs, David Crausby and Ruth Kelly.

Last month the job losses were rubber stamped at a meeting of the hospital trust board. Management insist jobs will go through natural wastage.

There are also plans to scrap 68 beds, including a gastroenterology ward, which treats alcoholics.

Bosses stress the moves are necessary so £12.8 million of investment can be pumped into pay rises, new drugs and equipment and a winter ward to deal with extra patients during the coldest months.

Hospital chiefs hope to be able to reduce the number of hospital admissions by 15 every day by working with the Primary Care Trust, who will provide more care in the community.