HEALTH bosses have said they have already improved waiting list times at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow, after it was ranked 17th in a league table exposing the longest NHS waiting times in the country.o

A study by researchers at Birmingham University worked out the country's 20 worst performing hospital trusts by looking at the number of patients waiting more than six months for surgery.

The study revealed that 34 per cent of patients at Princess Alexandra Hospital had to wait six months or longer for their operations.

Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust spokesman Mark Purcell said: "As far as we know the figures are out of date by at least six months because that 34 per cent is already down to 33 per cent."

At the moment, 4,156 people have been on the hospital's waiting list for five months or less and 2,065 patients have been waiting over six months.

Mr Purcell added: "We're already working towards improving the situation at Princess Alexandra Hospital.

"We're going to continue improving the figures, including implementing better bed management and getting government money to improve the accident and emergency service.

"Princess Alexandra is a three-star hospital so we don't have to go through the usual protocol to start making changes. We're already planning to build an ambulatory care and diagnostic centre for people who are on the waiting list to have their operation."

November 15, 2001 8:24