HOSPITAL waiting lists in the district have been reduced by 600, new figures reveal.

Morecambe Bay Hospital Trust has reported a "significant reduction" in its waiting lists with more than 600 fewer patients waiting for treatment than in March last year.

The number of people waiting for non-urgent hospital treatment was reduced to 6,544 and hospital bosses praised the clinical, managerial and support staff whose hard work had helped reduce the figures.

"This is a superb achievement by the Trusts's staff in meeting the targets set and in ensuring that many more patients received the treatment needed," said Chief Executive Ian Cumming. "I am delighted that our first year as a newly merged Trust has resulted in further reductions in our hospital waiting lists, benefiting the community of Morecambe Bay."

Trust Chairman Prof Idris Williams also paid tribute to the staff. He said: "I am well aware of the pressures faced by staff all year round and especially during the winter months when emergency medical admissions were very high. It is a tribute to our staff that waiting lists have reduced and I congratulate them on a marvellous result."

Lancaster MP Hilton Dawson has raised the issue in the House of Commons where Health Minister John Denham said the local trust was "an example to the rest of the country."

Said Hilton: "Cutting waiting lists in this way is of real benefit to the people of Lancaster and this continues the trend of decreasing lists since the election. All the staff of the trust have worked very hard to achieve this and I want to congratulate them."

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