Patients waiting more than a year for treatment

More than 3,000 people have had to wait longer than a year for treatment at Stafford and Cannock Chase Hospitals, latest figures show.

Bosses at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust today apologised. They are now offering patients care at other health trusts if they prefer. The latest waiting time statistics show that in November 2011 a total of 3,161 patients had been waiting more than a year for treatment.

The delays were mainly to see experts in orthopaedics, gastroenterology and thoracic medicine.

Figures released from the Department of Health also show that in November only one patient had been waiting more than a year at Walsall Manor Hospital and six were waiting at both Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital and Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust.

Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust had 61 patients waiting for more than 52 weeks.

The Government's target for patients being seen is within 18 weeks.

Maggie Oldham, chief operating officer at the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust, said today: "We apologise to those who are having to wait longer than the target of 18 weeks from the time they are referred by their own GP to the time they receive treatment.

"This problem has been caused by a combination of factors, including having a higher demand for services than had been anticipated.

"Although we know that for each individual patient, it is not satisfactory to have to wait longer than 18 weeks, some patients' needs are more urgent for clinical reasons.

Together with GPs, we are assessing the needs of each patient who is waiting."

Mid Staffordshire did not submit any waiting time data for October 2011, blaming an "ongoing computer problem".