FIVE times as many New Year casualties are expected at Burnley Hospital accident and emergency department as a result of anticipated massive Millennium celebrations.

A major disaster plan is being devised by the East Lancashire Health Authority as part of the year 2000 precautions against the so-called Millennium bug which could hit all kinds of computerised equipment fitted with a timer.

No-one is sure what will happened when the 99 clicks over to 00.

Members of Burnley Health Care NHS Trust were told that apart from the problems of the Millennium bug, five times as many people were expected to take part in the New Year celebrations and that could mean five times as many casualties at the A&E department.

They must consider on-call arrangements, increase in staffing levels, wards to receive emergency admissions, and switching the change-over of shifts from 10pm to midnight so there would be twice as many staff around. There will be discussions on the appropriate rate of pay.

Even non-alcoholic Millennium staff parties at the hospital are being considered so there are enough staff on site to cope.

Finance director David Meakin said: "We need to start the debate now so that we give ourselves sufficient time to plan the service that we intend providing over the New Year 2000 period.''

He said work was progressing well on making sure that hospital systems were year 2000 compliant.

The estimated cost had, however, increased from £48,000 to over £74,000 mainly due to the X-ray system.

Nearly 3,500 items of medical equipment had been identified for checks, of which 49 per cent were high risk, 23 per cent medium risk and 27 per cent low risk and a small number yet to be confirmed. All medical equipment suppliers had been contacted.

Other equipment and systems to be checked include lifts and even microwaves and video recorders.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.