MORE than £3m will be invested in health care in Halton next year.

The money will be on top of day-to-day running costs. It will provide extended breast screening, more GPs and better specialist and general care.

And a further £9.3m more will be spent on existing services.

Macmillan nurses will get another £50,000 and the Rapid Access Rehabilitation Service, a team which treats people in their homes or in residential care, will get another £100,000.

The investment comes after Halton Primary Care Trust made up financial ground from last year.

The trust has a budget of more than £147m a year and buys services from hospitals and care groups on behalf of residents.

Speaking at a meeting of trust's board, finance chief Heather Lewis said: "I am happy to report that the trust remains on target with its aims for the coming year."

Chair Jim Wilson said: "Although we feel it's a tight financial situation we are making some substantial investments in new services."

While there concern about having to support North Cheshire Hospitals with their debt problems, Mr Wilson said: "We have got to look at it from our point of view - but it's about working together and being upbeat."