SOME local NHS patients are having to wait up to 169 weeks for a general outpatient assessment with a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, according to a report produced by the College of Health.

This is despite the fact that, according to the Patients Charter, all should get their first hospital appointment within 26 weeks of being referred to a consultant by their GP.

Tony Richards, chief officer of St Helens & Knowsley Community Health Council, said: "This is an appalling situation. The CHC is pursuing this issue vigorously and we are greatly concerned about the length of time people are waiting for orthopaedics at Whiston and St Helens Hospitals.

"We are also concerned about the waiting times for opthalmology, gynaecology and plastic surgery as there has been a big jump in the number of people waiting for first-time appointments.

"In January, 1999 there were 1,241 trauma and orthopaedic patients waiting more than 26 weeks for their first appointment, the number of patients for opthalmology was 478, for plastic surgery 1,018 and for gynaecology 375."

Carol Freeman, head of Patient Information and Quality for St Helens & Knowsley Hospitals Trust, said: "Since the report was brought out we have worked hard to bring down the waiting lists, especially in orthopaedics.

"Our main problem was a shortage of consultants and problems with recruitment, but we have recruited a new consultant recently and there is now no-one waiting more than 12 months. We understand that the 12-month waiting list is still not acceptable and will be recruiting two further consultants to combat the problem - we have received some extra funding from St Helens and Knowsley Health Authority to deal with the waiting list for orthopaedics.

"We are also looking at the other areas where waiting lists have been unacceptable, such as opthalmology, gynaecology and plastic surgery, and since the findings of the College of Health report, we have also reduced the waiting lists for these departments.

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