MORE than 160 patients were sent for operations at private hospitals in Bradford, Blackburn and Gisburn so Burnley Health Care Trust could meet government waiting list targets.

Burnley's February waiting list total - down 454 - was the second best reduction for hospitals in the North West. Chief executive David Chew is hoping the trend will continue and March will see a further drop of 354 down to the figure of March 1997.

Burnley Health Care Trust's eight theatres at Burnley and one at Rossendale worked to capacity in February to achieve the figure of just 5,257 patients waiting for operations.

Mr Chew said: "We had a target of 1,400 cases to remove from the in-patients and day case list and we have done it.

"We are exhausted with our efforts but we are very proud of all the staff. This has been achieved through the hard-work of everyone from theatre to ward staff, X-ray and pathology - not just the surgeons who have carried out the operations. "Staff have also had to deal with the winter crisis and beds have been full since October, but we have managed to make the target. It has been a wonderful achievement for all of us." Burnley received £1.1million to help achieve the waiting list target and this has been used to employ four additional consultants and specialist nurses.

Mr Chew said: "We are grateful to the East Lancashire Health Authority for the extra money which has been invested in staff to help keep the figures going down."

Space has been rented from private hospitals including Gisburne Park and Beardwood Hospital for trust staff to perform 100 cataract operations, about 60 orthopaedic and general surgery cases and some gynaecology procedures.

Mr Chew said this measure would continue and has been budgeted for.

The final part of the phase four development of Burnley General Hospital should start in October and the £4million scheme will see a dedicated day case surgery and additional theatres.

Mr Chew said when this facility is fully operational, scheduled for the end of 2000, the trust will no longer need to rent space from other hospitals, all surgery will be performed on the trust sites.

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