Teen beauty spot drinkers are ramblers, not rebels
- Dave Burrows
NHS bosses say Shropshire GP referrals on target
Wednesday 25th January 2012, 8:59PM GMT.
Health bosses today said they were on course to hit national targets for the amount of time it takes to treat Shropshire patients after referral from a GP.
In November around a quarter of county patients, and 40 per cent of those in the Telford & Wrekin area, waited longer than the 18-week time limit which has been set out by the Government.
And 39 per cent of patients at the Princess Royal and Royal Shrewsbury hospitals waited longer than they should have after being referred to hospitals or specialists from a GP.
But county NHS bosses say the number of patients waiting more than 18 weeks has already fallen from 6,175 in June 2011 to around 1,500 this month, and by April will be within national targets.
Andrew Stenton, director of operations at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, apologised for the delays but said big reductions had already taken place.
“The trust has managed to significantly reduce the number of people waiting longer than they should for a first or follow-up appointment,” he said.
“Since a backlog was identified last year a range of measures have been put in place not only to ensure that we see these patients as quickly as possible, but also that new outpatients do not wait longer as a result.”
Department of Health statistics for November show Shropshire County Primary Care Trust achieved the 18-week referral to treatment target among 74.4 per cent of its patients. The PCT plans and commissions health services for everyone living in Shropshire county or registered with a Shropshire County GP.
In Telford that role is carried out by NHS Telford and Wrekin.It treated 64.2 per cent of patients within 18 weeks of referral.
The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Princess Royal and Royal Shrewsbury Hospitals, dealt with 61 per cent of cases within 18 weeks.
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