THE backlog of patients waiting for non-urgent operations in Worcestershire has continued to increase despite more than 100 procedures being carried out at a special modular theatre in just a month.

Figures in a report presented to the board of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust on Wednesday, June 24 showed the number of patients waiting for operations increased from 25,291 in April to 26,552 last month.

This is despite the trust opening a special modular theatre at Redditch’s Alexandra Hospital at the start of May in an effort to clear the backlog, with more than 100 procedures already carried out at the facility.

Although the amount of these waiting longer than the NHS-mandated 18 weeks decreased from 3,715 in April to 3,628 last month, it has also been revealed that one patient has waited more than a year for a varicose vein operation.

Speaking at the meeting, the trust’s interim chief operating officer Rab McEwan said staff had been in touch with the patient as soon as it was discovered how long they had been waiting, and they had opted to have the procedure carried out next month.

The organisation, which also runs Worcestershire Royal Hospital and Kidderminster Hospital, has previously vowed to clear achieve the NHS target of carrying out at least 95 per cent of elective operations within the 18 week period by November.