MORE than 80 per cent of Bury outpatients were admitted to hospital within waiting time targets between October and December last year.

Latest quarterly figures from Bury Health Care NHS Trust show that 82.1 per cent of new patients were admitted within the 13-week deadline against a target figure of 90 per cent.

Nine of the 18 trust specialities failed to achieve the 90 per cent target. They were general surgery, orthopaedics, ear, nose and throat, orthodontics, general medicine, dermatology, gynaecology, psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry.

The figures were discussed at a trust board meeting on Tuesday, February 10.

They also showed that 98.1 per cent of new patients were seen within 26 weeks against a target figure of 100 per cent.

Orthopaedics was the only speciality failing to meet the 26-week deadline, with 119 patients waiting 26 weeks or more.

Trust directors were pleased to note waiting times for ear, nose and throat patients had fallen. The 26-week target was achieved between October and December in this speciality. Bury's 13-week record was slightly above the North West average in the quarter from July to September.

And its 26-week record was a little above national and North West averages.

Trust chairman John Bradley was generally pleased with the results but added: "There is concern about how long we can keep up this level of performance.

"Outpatient services have been under considerable strain for quite some time.

"It is a concern of the (trust) board that this sort of pressure will mean the current level of service may not be sustainable in the medium term.

"In view of underfunding it is a pleasant surprise that we are managing to achieve what we do and a tribute to our nurses and medical staff."

Board members also discussed concerns over the possibility of a future shortage of nurses in Bury and expressed fears that current training methods do not provide staff with a full range of nursing skills.

And trust directors recognised the increasing level of strain on NHS staff generally at the board meeting on Tuesday.

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