Central Middlesex Hospital and Northwick Park & St Mark’s Hospitals hit the key new government targets for waiting times at the end of December. 

Patients referred by the GP to a hospital doctor for an outpatient appointment are now waiting no more than 13 weeks.  

Patients who need an operation (inpatients) will now wait no longer than six months and many are seen quicker.  Patients are now waiting half the time they were in January 2004.

Michael Burke, Medical Director for the North West London Hospitals NHS Trust said, “We are delighted to have brought waiting times down for patients.  Shorter waiting times mean that people are back home and carrying on with their lives months earlier than they were a year ago.  We have always seen urgent cases very quickly but now we have reduced waiting times for other procedures. 

"Somebody referred for a hip replacement operation will be benefiting from the operation three months earlier than last year and six months earlier than two years ago.  This makes a real difference to people’s lives.

“Staff across the Trust have worked hard to see patients sooner and to be more efficient.  It has proved that improvements in patient care can be made in spite of the difficult financial situation the NHS is in locally.

“As of 1^st January, GPs are offering patients choices about which hospital to go to for their treatment.  For many patients waiting times and good clinical focus are important factors in deciding which hospital to choose.  Both Central Middlesex Hospital and Northwick Park & St Mark’s Hospital are doing well in these areas.”

Notes to editors

1. Targets for outpatients (maximum waiting time to be seen by a hospital doctor from GP referral)

• From March 2003 to end of March 2004 – no patient to wait longer than 21 weeks
• From  1 April 2004 – no patient to wait longer than 17 weeks
• From 1 January 2006 – no patient to wait longer than 13 weeks

2. Targets for in-patients  (maximum waiting time for operation/treatment from referral)

• From March 2003 to end of March 2004 – no patient to wait longer than 12 months
• From 1 April 2004 – no patient to wait longer than 9 months
• From 1 January 2006 – no patient to wait longer than 6 months

 3. Clinical focus – The Trust was rated as having ‘High’ performance on Clinical Focus by the Healthcare Commission in the 2005 NHS Performance Ratings.