Hospital waiting times reduced

Date published: 29/09/2006

Staff at four Greater Manchester hospitals have been praised for their success in reducing waiting times over the last four years.

The figures for Pennine Acute Trust, which runs Rochdale Infirmary, North Manchester General Hospital, The Royal Oldham Hospital and Fairfield General in Bury, were released at the organisation’s fourth annual general meeting, held on Thursday, 28 September.

The formal meeting was followed by workshop sessions on:

• Cancer services
• Coronary heart disease
• Diabetes
• Services for older people
• Renal services

Bob Chadwick, the Trust’s acting chief executive, told an 80-strong audience that there had been "dramatic" improvements in access times for patients for the year 2005-06 in comparison with just a few years earlier.

Mr Chadwick said: "We are continuing to meet access targets which grow tougher each year – even for its size, the trust is incredibly busy. We see patients more than one million times a year. Despite that workload, our staff are continuing to reduce the time which patients have to wait.

"Patients’ expectations on access times are increasingly rising, and the performance framework reflects that. The good news is that our staff are meeting that challenge.

"For the last year, no patients had to wait more than six months for a planned operation. In 2002, when the Trust was formed, 2,500 patients were waiting that long, with 750 patients waiting more than nine months.

"No patients are now waiting more than 13 weeks for their first outpatient appointment last year. In 2002, when the Trust was formed, it was nearly 2,200.

"We now have 98 per cent of A&E patients being treated, discharged or admitted within four hours - and many were treated more quickly. In 2002, when the Trust was formed, it was 79 per cent."

Mr Chadwick said that it was essential for hospitals to ensure strong working relationships with NHS community services, other NHS organisations, social services and patients themselves.

John Jesky, Trust chairman, said that the success was due to a "team" approach by both frontline and support staff in the hospitals.

He said:  "Since I joined the Trust earlier this year, I have ensured that I visit not just wards but the support departments as well. The NHS is a team game. There are many members in that team, not all of whom are readily in the public eye, but they all deserve our thanks."

The Trust’s annual report for 2005-06 is available from www.pat.nhs.uk or by contacting the Trust communications team on 0161 627 8707.