BURY'S health bosses will have an extra £4 million to spend next year.

The town has been promised a total of £183,925,000 from the Government to care for local people from April 1998 to 1999.

This cash boost is an increase of 2.3 per cent after inflation on last year's allocation - a figure above the national average because of changes in the way each share is worked out.

The chief executive of Bury and Rochdale Health Authority Mr Richard Popplewell has given the extra cash a cautious welcome although he believes it will not be enough for the long list of pressures they face.

He said: "It's clearly better news than we thought but we are being cautious about how good that news is until we look at the figures.

"It means while we thought we would be able to afford a fifth of demand for next year, now we may be able to afford a quarter."

Mr Joe Leigh, director of finance at the authority agreed. He said: "We have already identified many priorities and pressures for funding next year.

"These far exceed even this better than expected position. We will, however, be able to take a wider look at more possibilities now and ensure that funding is available for high priority developments."

The health authority plan to produce a more detailed picture of what the extra money means at their next meeting.

Health Secretary Frank Dobson announced the extra money this week as part of the Government's promise of £1billion of extra money for health care in England.

Bury health chiefs will find out on November 7 their share of £22 million given to the North West last week by the Government to help in this winter's battle against bed-blocking.

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