Shropshire’s two main hospitals have just a few weeks to clear a backlog of more that 3,500 patients to meet tough new Government demands.

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust, which runs the Royal Shrewsbury and Telford’s Princess Royal, has been under intense pressure for months with emergency admissions reaching record levels over the winter.

This has led to doctors struggling to hit key targets which say patients should have to wait no longer that 18 weeks for hospital treatment after being referred by their GP.

Figures show a backlog of 3,555 patients still needs to be cleared.

Under new Government rules, from April 1 every patient will have a legal right to a wait of no more than 18 weeks.

The issue was highlighted yesterday at a board meeting of NHS Telford and Wrekin, which commissions hospital services.

Concerns were raised that Telford had not been treated fairly as the hospital trust tried to cope with the growing number of emergency admissions.

A letter sent to the strategic health authority last month said that beds had been utilised in the day surgery unit at the Princess Royal but in turn Telford patients had not been transferred for routine treatment to the RSH to free up beds.

Assurances had been given by the hospital trust that Telford residents would be prioritised to address this matter.

Claire Old, the primary care trust’s director of commissioning, told the board that figures showed the 18-weeks target had been missed in December and was probably missed last month as well.

But she said there had been investment by the PCT in 30 extra beds at the PRH, which would improve the situation.

Mrs Old said the hospital trust believed it could clear the backlog by April 1.

Dr Catherine Woodward, PCT director of health improvement, said she was concerned and disappointed about the impact there had been on patients in Telford.

Dr Jo Leahy, acting medical director, said action was being taken but she was concerned the population of Telford had not received the same level of care or access to it as the rest of Shropshire.

By Health Correspondent Dave Morris