Waiting times ‘hit by cuts’

Claims that waiting times for patients have soared as a result of NHS cuts have been branded misleading.

Latest figures for the Pennine Acute Trust, which runs hospitals in Rochdale, Oldham, Bury and North Manchester, show the number of patients treated within 18 weeks has fallen from 90 per cent in February, 2010 to just 79 per cent in February, 2011.

UNISON regional organiser Kevin Lucas said the figures were alarming.

He said: “They show how the NHS, in spite of our local NHS Trusts best efforts, are suffering from the Government efficiency cuts in NHS funding.”

He added: “The situation in our NHS is getting worse and care for patients is clearly at risk.”

However, Sandra Musgrave, associate director, elective access, said: “It is a misleading statement. To say our position in January and February is related to staffing and cuts is wrong.”

Mrs Musgrave said the first two months of the year were difficult for hospitals across the North- West due to a combination of snow, bad weather and the flu pandemic.

Rises in accident and emergency activity meant elective procedures had to be cancelled. Bad weather also saw patients failing to turn up for appointments.

The trust now have a recovery plan in place to tackle the 18-week waiting time target, from when a patient gets a GP referral letter to their first definitive treatment.

A Department of Health team has been brought in to work with clinicians over the next six months to improve the target.