WORCESTERSHIRE hospitals are responsible for around one eighth of patients across the country who wait more than six months for appointments.

West Midlands South Health Authority revealed 51 patients at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust are on long waiting lists for out-patient appointments.

Nationally, only around 400 people have been waiting longer than six months.

The wait exceeds strict Government targets, which are due to be made even more stringent in the coming year.

Meeting

At a meeting of the health authority, director of performance and finance Kevin Orford said the waits were understandable as the Trust had undergone a large amount of upheaval during the move to the new hospital.

"They know we are extremely disappointed with this, and know it will not happen again," he said.

"We are taking it seriously, but it has been a major change there, and something was going to go wrong somewhere in the system.

"We are not making excuses for them, but we need to see the wider picture."

The chairmen of Primary Care Trusts across the county will now be writing to each of the patients in their respective areas individually to explain the situation to them.

The health authority has been assured that all of the 51 patients will have been seen by the end of this week.

Richard Haynes, spokesman for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said the waits were all in the ophthalmology area.

"The delays are the result of demand outstripping supply in this very good and popular service," he said.

"We have started a series of one-stop clinics which will hopefully deal with the people and they will not suffer as a result of the delays."