Some Blackpool hospital patients waiting over a year to be seen

The latest figures show 153 patients waiting longer than 78 weeks for their medical procedures when the target is 53, which must be reached by March this year.

A meeting of the Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust board heard cardiac patients were among those most at risk of a longer wait.

Some outpatient clinics across the hospital have had to be temporarily suspended so doctors and nurses can be diverted to treat the recent high influx of patients to medical wards.

High levels of emergency admissions also mean fewer beds are available for people requiring routine treatments.

Natalie Hudson, chief operating officer at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, told the meeting: “With an escalated number of medical patients at the hospital that limits the number of beds we have available for elective patients.

“Over the last couple of weeks we have had to stand down a number of outpatient clinics to enable us to release our substantive medical staff to support ward rounds and discharge.”

But she added the clinics were due to re-start as treatment was needed particularly for respiratory and rheumatology patients.

She said: “We can’t continue to stand down clinics on a daily basis.”

Ms Hudson also warned waiting lists as a whole were increasing due to increasing numbers of referrals.

But Blackpool was performing better than some other hospitals, with one hospital in Lancashire currently having 1,500 patients waiting more than 78 weeks for treatment.

Blackpool is also meeting the 93 per cent target for the number of cancer patients being seen within two weeks of referral.

Measures to ensure quicker diagnosis and treatment include the launch of a new endoscopy unit which has been located in the car park at Stanley Park Sports Centre and opened in November.

It will be in place for around 14 months as part of a partnership between Blackpool Teaching Hospitals and Remedy Healthcare Solutions.

Remedy has already been working to reduce waiting lists by using an additional treatment room within the gastroenterology unit at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, with nearly 900 patients treated there between August and December.