Government team to reduce poor waiting times at Arrowe Park hospital

Nov 30 2011 by Liza Williams, Heswall News

A CRACK government team will visit Arrowe Park after waiting times rose to make it the country’s worst.

The interim management and Support (IMAS) team will be drafted in to help the hospital meet targets.

The Department of Health (DoH) has said patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from the time they are referred to hospital to the start of treatment.

A snapshot of waiting times was released earlier this month, capturing the picture in September.

At first glance, waiting times for people who received their first treatment in September did not seem long at Wirral Hospitals Trust, which also runs Clatterbridge hospital.

Out-patients seen during that month at Arrowe Park had waited an average of 2.8 weeks, with 94% of cases meeting the 18-week target.

But patients who had been referred for treatment at Arrowe Park but still waiting to be seen were waiting an average of 13.5 weeks – the highest in England.

Overall, 95% of patients were seen within 41 weeks, but 5% waited even longer.

The action does not affect Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology.

A spokeswoman for Arrowe Park said: “IMAS focuses on helping NHS trusts achieve targets by sharing best practice, providing guidance in areas where improvements can be achieved and giving advice and support.”