THE new boss at the Countess of Chester Hospital makes no apology for setting out to make the place smaller.

Chief executive Tony Chambers, 46, accepts the NHS must undergo a revolution given the aging population will place significant demands on society, including health resources.

The ex-nurse wants older people to be cared for in their own homes with the support of partners like social services and even volunteers.

“Older people don’t do well in hospital. They get infections and they lose their independence,” says Tony, who believes change can be positive.

“The old mental health hospital on this site would have been full at one time.

“I’m not suggesting we got it all right with care in the community but nobody would turn that clock back.”

But as with community care, this latest revolution will be done on shoe-string.

The NHS is being protected from the worst of the cuts, but Tony must still make savings of £9m over 12 months.

He admits the new community-focused structure will mean a smaller hospital and changes for the workforce.

But he stresses: ‘Nobody need to be disadvantaged but roles will change over time.”

And Tony, who lives in Bolton with wife Alison, a Dean at the University of Central Lancashire, says medical advances can mean greater efficiency and lower costs.

He has an example close to home.

That’s because a couple of years ago one of his sons, Will, 19, a drama student, was diagnosed as a diabetic, who must use insulin to control his blood-sugar levels.

“When I was a nurse he would typically have had a three week-long stay in hospital,” explained Tony.

“Will was diagnosed overnight in hospital.”

The casually-dressed Manchester City fan, who also has a 25-year-old son Dan, is a different character to predecessor Peter Herring but admires Mr Herring’s work in hitting clinical and financial targets year-on-year.

Tony arrives at a time of change for the top team and among its new members is the former chief executive of the entire NHS, in the guise of Countess Trust chairman Sir Duncan Nichol CBE.

The chief executive is ‘proud’ to be joining an organisation with an excellent reputation where new services are coming on-line such as a critical care unit and regional centre for treating the morbidly obese.

“If we have a smaller hospital, providing more timely care and better outcomes, we will have improved things,” concludes Tony, who writes a blog for the hospital website.