Almost 1,200 patients in Bury have waits of more than a year for hospital treatment.
Latest health performance figures for the borough also show an increase in the number of patients who have endured more than a two-year wait, mostly for general surgery and gynaecology treatment.
In a performance report to be presented to Bury’s strategic commissioning board this week Susan Sawbridge, head of performance, at Bury CCG gave an update on how health services in the borough are performing against targets.
She said: “The CCG, alongside others in Greater Manchester, has challenges in achieving the national constitutional standards in a number of key areas.
“There were 23,993 incomplete pathways at the end of September and this marks a 27.3 per cent increase in waiting list size when compared to March 2021.
“Despite the waiting list growth, the number of 52-plus week waits remained very similar to the August position, standing at 1,190 in September and representing a 30 per cent reduction when compared to March.
“Despite the reduction in the 52-plus week waiting list, September saw a further increase in the number of pathways exceeding 104-plus weeks with most attributed to general surgery, ear, nose and throat and gynaecology.”
The report also gave also said there had been an increase in the number of Covid-positive in-patients at Fairfield General Hospital.
The number started to increase from mid-June and reached a peak of 49 on November 2 though has reduced in recent days and stood at 23 at November 15.
Peaks during previous waves were 132 in November 2020 and 79 in January 2021.
The urgent treatment centre at the hospital has been expanded over recent months and the report said it now has ‘a robust waiting area and several clinic rooms’.
For cancer care, an operational plan for April to September 2021 set an expectation for additional out-patient capacity to be put in place to manage the shortfall seen in 2020-21 but to the end of August, there were 13 per cent fewer Bury patients seen than had been planned.
