Hospital waiting target achieved

Date published: 09/10/2007

Half of all hospital patients in Rochdale are being referred, treated and discharged within 18 weeks.

Department of Health figures for July this year show exactly 50 per cent of the borough’s patients waiting for planned treatment are within the national target.

The NHS Improvement Plan says no patient should wait longer than 18 weeks from GP referral to hospital treatment by 2008.

A spokesman for the Pennine Acute Trust, which runs hospitals in Rochdale, Bury, Oldham and North Manchester said: "According to our figures, more than half of all patients waiting for planned treatment at the trust’s four hospitals are being seen within the 18 weeks, which is good news for patients and means a lot of hard work by staff.

"By the time we reach 2008, 18 weeks will be the maximum but for many people their treatment will be much quicker."