BLACKPOOL Victoria Hospital patients listed for hip-replacements will soon be offered surgery by a team of doctors flying over from South Africa.

In a bid to cut waiting times, a government cash injection of almost £2m will enable the clinical team to journey to the north west of England to perform 300 hip replacement operations for several hospitals in the region.

The 30 patients awaiting major joint surgery at the Vic will be given the opportunity to be treated by the team which will be based at the the Southport and Formby District General Hospital from June to September.

Kevin Clarkson, the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals Trust's Directorate Manager for Orthopaedics, said: "Patients who will be given the choice of having their hip replacement operation at Southport Hospital will be those who have been on the waiting list the longest and who fit the medical criteria for the scheme.

"This waiting list initiative complements a lot of other good work that is going on in the orthopaedic directorate to reduce the time patients wait for treatment.

"These, however, are only short-term measures and the Trust is putting together a strategic development plan for the future expansion of capacity within our local hospitals."

The Trust has been working hard to reduce waiting times for orthopaedic patients.

In February 2002, patients were waiting up to 18 months for surgery.

The longest waiting time is now 12 months for patients who are fit for surgery and some patients are treated sooner than this.