Lincolnshire hospitals miss all waiting time targets

BBC Lincoln Hospital signBBC
United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust has missed A&E and cancer treatment targets since September 2014

Hospitals in Lincolnshire have failed to meet all their waiting time targets.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (UHLT), which runs hospitals in Lincoln, Grantham and Boston, missed its targets for cancer care, accident and emergency and planned operations.

Figures for February show ULHT treated 69.3% of A&E patients within four hours, the national target is 95%.

The trust said it was dealing with "increased demand in our emergency departments".

In January, 76.9% of patients began cancer treatment with ULHT within 62 days of an urgent GP referral, compared with the NHS England target of 85%.

ULHT has missed its targets for both A&E and cancer care since September 2014.

Mark Brassington, ULHT's chief operating officer, said the last year had seen a "significant increase in pressure on all of our hospitals".

"We have nine cancer targets to achieve, and in recent months our performance against all of these has improved and continues to do so," he said.

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Trust (NLAG), which runs hospitals in Scunthorpe, Grimsby and Goole, also failed to meet its waiting time targets.

Figures for A&E patient admissions in February was 83.4%, while 70.1% of patients began cancer treatment within the 62 days target in January.

Richard Sunley, NLAG deputy chief executive, said: "NHS services across the country remain under considerable pressure and our hospitals are no different.

"Our staff are working incredibly hard to ensure people attending as urgent and emergency cases are seen and treated as quickly as possible."

Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital
Grimsby's Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital is run by Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Trust