HEALTH bosses in Burnley have been put on weekly report to ensure they slash waiting lists.

Increased waiting in December put the trust further off course in its bid to meet Government-ordered targets.

Now health trust chiefs have been told the NHS Regional Office is monitoring the position in Burnley on a weekly basis, because of the "significant variance from target."

Nationally, trusts have been asked to ensure nobody waits for more than a year for treatment but the local trust has refused to reveal what its other targets are.

Trust finance director David Meakin said the situation improved last month and with additional funding he expected targets to be met.

In a report to Wednesday's meeting of the trust board, he says 900 extra in-patient operations cases will be dealt with before March 31. The list of 100 patients waiting for treatment for more than a year will also be cleared by that date, he adds.

Mr Meakin says the number of outpatients waiting more than 13 weeks for an appointment was cut by 430 to 3,000 in January and anticipates the trust will come within 100 of meeting its target by the financial year end.

He adds the trust needs an extra £665,000 in he coming year in order to hit future waiting list targets.