A PRIVATE hospital in Droitwich is treating NHS patients in a bid to cut waiting lists.

Worcestershire Hospitals Acute NHS Trust is stumping up the cash for major operations at Droitwich Spa Hospital, in St Andrew's Road.

The scheme involves the NHS selecting patients for private care, arranging a fee and then sending an invoice to the Trust.

Thirty patients have already been treated for general and orthopaedic surgery over the year that the two initiatives have been running, said the hospital's executive director, Michael Scott.

The NHS operations take place within the day-to-day theatre lists and the surgeon who would have carried out the procedure at a state theatre usually operates.

Now, seven per cent of referrals to the hospital, which is planning to build its third operating theatre and open 10 more beds next year, are from the NHS.

A Trust spokeswoman confirmed it was "working collaboratively with local private hospitals, including Droitwich Spa Hospital".

She added that private services were being used to increase the capacity for the treatment of patients and reduce the waiting list times in order to achieve the Government target of no patients waiting more than 15 months for an operation.

Worcester and District Community Health Council chairman Glen Green praised the scheme.

"My first priority is that patients are receiving a safe, monitored service by well-qualified staff," said the spokeswoman.

"People are going to be surprised but the money is not going into bricks and mortar - it's going to patient care and that's what counts."

Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff said: "I'm glad the hospital is taking part in this initiative. What matters is patients get treated and get better.

"However, it's sad more and more people are actually choosing to pay for care because waiting for NHS treatment can take so long."