THE future of how Boltonians will receive their care is back up for discussion by health chiefs,

Both the Bolton Locality Plan and Healthier Together strategy are on the table at the Bolton NHS Clinical Commissioning Group public meeting tomorrow.

The locality plan sets out a method of delivering health and social care changes.

It is being implemented over three years by the Bolton Health and Social Care Partnership made up of NHS Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), NHS Foundation Trust, Bolton Council, GM Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Healthwatch Bolton, Bolton GP Federation and Bolton CVS.

Greater Manchester has provided £28.8m in funding for the scheme and the meeting will look at which projects have been approved and which are still awaiting the go-ahead.

These include international recruitment of 75 nurses, a crisis mental health service at Royal Bolton Hospital, discharging hospital patients to community beds, providing one GP per care home, and a review of medication by pharmacists.

The board will also look at the Healthier Together scheme to combine the Bolton, Salford and Wigan surgical teams to provide 24 hour surgery options for high-risk patients.

CCG chief officer Su Long said: “I think it is a very positive as a clinical argument and it is the right thing to

do.

“There has to be one site where high risk work is done.

"There is only enough staff for one.

“We know the best chance for surviving surgery and for better outcomes is to have consultant cover both during the night and in the few days afterwards.”

Prior to public CCG board members meeting at St Peters House in Silverwell Street at 12.30pm, the locality plan will also be discussed at the Bolton Health and Wellbeing board today.

The meeting starts at 3.30pm in the council chamber of the Town Hall.