MORE than half of hospital in-patients in Worcestershire are still having to wait more than 18 weeks from referral to the start of treatment, it has emerged.

Figures obtained from Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust reveal that 54 per cent of 3,463 in-patents - 1,870 people - are waiting for more than this amount of time.

Nationally, the figure is 52 per cent. The Government has demanded all patients are treated in less than 18 weeks by December 2008.

Despite the figures, a spokesman for the trust said he believed good progress was being made towards hitting the target.

He said: "If you compare the figures now to five years ago, when there were huge waiting lists, they are vastly improved."

Measures to ensure the trust hits the target have been revealed by the trust's director of human resources Jeff Crawshaw, including recruiting more staff.

At the trust meeting on Thursday, June 7, he said funding could be increased to provide new nursing posts. He said this year's budget meant funding was available for 4,431 full-time staff, compared with the 4,215 it currently employs. However, it axed 720 posts from last year's budget to help clear its debt.

Mr Crawshaw said about this year's funding: "This is expected to rise as investment in new posts is made to meet the 18 weeks target, for example, nursing staff to enable additional clinics and theatre sessions to run on an evening and at weekend. As the target is met in 2008, the funding will once again fall."

The longest waits are in rheumatology, where 76 per cent of patients wait more than the 18 weeks, and trauma and orthopaedics, where 68 per cent also wait longer.

The shortest waits are in cardiology where 68 per cent are are seen within 18 weeks, general medicine with 64 per cent and gastroenterology with 75 per cent seen earlier.