A RADICAL plan to halve the number of beds for mentally ill people in Halton has been revealed.

But health chiefs say the scheme will not mean redundancies and will help plug the £5.2 million annual shortfall suffered by the 5 Boroughs Trust.

And they said it will provide a much-needed modernisation on services with the emphasis on treating people at home and in day centres rather than admitting and keeping them in hospital.

There will now be a summer-long consultation process before the final decisions are made.

The process, Change For The Better, was launched on Thursday in Warrington and John Gartside, 5 Boroughs chief, was keen to stress that the plans weren't set in stone.

He said: "We see this as a change for the better. This exercise is not about making savings and this is a real consultation."

While the details of the changes have not been fully revealed, they will see a refurbishment of the Brooker wing at Halton Hospital.

That work would see the number of beds reduced from 40 to 23.

Bosses were quick to confirm that redundancies were not part of the plan.

The other two options, to do nothing or to close two centres and centralise the services at one regional base, were described as being too costly and not good for patients.

Public meetings are planned in Halton during the consultation period at 10am on Friday, June 16 at Castlefields Community Centre, Runcorn, on Friday, June 16, at 10am, and at the Halton Stadium, in Widnes, on July 18, at 6pm and on August 22 at 1pm.