NHS Trust hits Assembly targets for waiting lists (From Barry And District News)

NHS Trust hits Assembly targets for waiting lists

THE Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust is celebrating this week after hitting waiting list targets set by the Welsh Assembly Government.

The Trust's chief executive Hugh Ross said: "Last year we were set challenging targets by the Welsh Assembly Government to improve our patients' access to care - and through excellent team work we've done it.

"We have been able to care for 12,900 inpatients and day case patients who were on the waiting list this time last year. We have also been successful in reducing the waiting times for outpatients to 18 months and progressing on other targets."

Rhiannon Matthews, trust press officer, said: "Although our trust had been making progress towards reducing waiting times, at the time we had 1,885 inpatients and day cases waiting between 12 and 18 months, and 622 more patients waiting more than 18 months.

"As well as these 2,507 patients who were waiting in June 2004, we also needed to look at patients who would go beyond the waiting time target between June and March 2005.

"We worked with the WAG to agree an action plan and agreed to meet a maximum 18 months waiting time by October 31, 2004 and 12 months by March 31, 2005.

"We met our 18-month target by November with more than 800 patients being treated. But the 12-month target clearly required a major effort to meet the needs of 2,860 patients within five months."