A NEW plan for NHS services in the area has been welcomed by the leader of Wigan Council.

Lord Peter Smith has backed a plan that would see hospitals in the borough working more closely with services in neighbouring Bolton and Salford.

The council, Wigan Borough CCG, Wigan Healthwatch and Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust supported the idea as part of Wigan Health and Wellbeing Board’s official response to the wide-ranging Healthier Together consultation.

It would see Wigan working with hospitals in Bolton and Salford - who have been competing for specialist status under the proposals - to develop a ‘single service model of care’ that would be standard across the three areas and involve far greater cooperation and coordination.

In response to the plans, the Wigan Health and Wellbeing Board endorsed Healthier Together but united to support a new proposal which would see Wigan, Bolton and Salford sharing services where appropriate.

The board stressed this would address the problems identified in Healthier Together and meet the aims of the review.

Lord Smith said: “Throughout this whole process, we’ve made absolutely clear that patient care has to be the overriding priority. I know Healthier Together will lead to better services and more lives saved.

“This is our joint response to the consultation. I’m delighted we’ve been able to reach agreement.” Rather than the ‘specialist’ and ‘general’ hospital designations in the consultation, it is anticipated a single service will be developed that would be a partnership approach to health services.

Doctors from all three trusts are working to develop a model of care that builds on previous joint work between the trusts.

Andrew Foster, chief executive of Wigan, Wrightington and Leigh Foundation Trust, said: “We fully support the improved clinical standards proposed by Healthier Together.

“Our clinicians believe that collaboration with colleagues in Bolton and Salford will allows us to better meet these standards and deliver high quality and sustainable health services for our patients.”