CASUALTY departments in Blackburn and Burnley are set to get almost £36,000 in an effort to cut waiting times.

The money, which has come from the Department of Health, will see both Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust, and Burnley Healthcare Trust, each receive £17,942 this year to employ specialist nurses in their A&E departments, who will be able to treat minor injuries cases themselves.

Burnley trust is already one step ahead of the Government's plans, after employing two of the specialised nurse practitioners in its A&E department at Burnley General in the last year.

The money is part of the Department of Health's Reforming Emergency Care scheme, under which both trusts will each receive a further £73,561 next year to employ more of the nurses.

It is part of the Government's plan to "streamline" patients waiting.

Currently patients with the most serious injuries take priority, which can mean patients with minor injuries constantly being put to the back of the queue every time a serious case comes in.

Figures published by the Audit Commission last month showed 53 per cent of patients waited for more than an hour to see a doctor in Burnley General A&E, while 68.5 per cent were seen within an hour at Blackburn Royal Infirmary.

Nurse practitioners are trained specially in A&E care so that in most cases, patients do not have to wait to see a doctor, leaving doctors free to work on more emergency cases.

David Parkinson from the Burnley trust said: "We have already got two nurse practitioners, as we were quite early on in doing that. We hope to increase to another two.

"These nurses will be able to support the patients with minor injuries and clients for the serious ones will be able to deal with them."

"That will take away the stress for doctors who are having to see too many patients."

As a three star trust, Blackburn will also be asked to join one of the proposed pilot NHS Clinical Assessment Systems, which will be run in 25 trusts across the country.

They will be given extra funding to treat some of the 1,900 patients on waiting lists in the North West. Both trusts have received the minimum £17,942 funding because they do not have one of the worst records for bed blocking.

Health Secretary Alan Milburn said: "Patients will be streamed so some are not pushed constantly to the back of the queue to wait for hours.

"Emergency work will be separated from routine surgery so operations are not cancelled at the last minute. Diagnosis and test results will be available round-the-clock not just nine to five so people can be treated sooner. Our strategy combines investment and reform to ensure change in the way A & E is managed and organised."