Fairfield Hospital is one of two hospitals piloting the scheme

The pioneering system is being used for orthopaedic patients having pre-planned surgery at Fairfield Hospital in Bury and North Manchester General.

Often, operations have to be cancelled because there are no available beds.

Under the book-a-bed scheme, patients' beds, pre-op assessments and theatre slots will all be reserved.

If the project is a success, the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust plans to roll it out across its other hospitals - the Royal Oldham and Rochdale Infirmary.

Plans under way

Kathy Ozkan, service manager for orthopaedics, said: "If you think about it, not many people go on holiday by booking their flight, but not their hotel.

"And yet, that is effectively what is happening in hospitals up and down the country each day."

"We could see an increase in patients admitted to hospital on the day of their operation. Too often we admit patients the night before because we don't want to lose the bed."

The scheme is currently being planned by doctors and nursing staff and could begin in the next three months.