PRIMARY care in Worcestershire is to benefit from inflation-busting funding increases over the next two years, Health Secretary John Reid has announced.

South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust will receive a 9.1 per cent rise in its grant to £313.5m in 2006/7, followed by an 9.8 per cent boost to £344.3m in 2007/8.

Dr Reid said the rises - part of a £135bn package of investment in primary care over the next two years - would improve access to services and bring maximum waits for operations down to 18 weeks by 2008.

The cash will also be used to fund public health initiatives such as school nurses, community matrons and health trainers, as part of a bid to improve levels of health and identify illnesses at an early stage.

Dr Reid said: "The NHS frontline will use the money to speed up access to operations and tackle bottlenecks like diagnostic tests.

"It will enable the NHS to achieve a maximum waiting time of 18 weeks end to end by 2008 - reduced from 18 months only a few years ago.

"Patients also want the NHS to move away from being a sickness service towards becoming a true health service.

"Today's allocations will help the NHS locally to recruit school nurses and health trainers to tackle the growing trends in obesity as well as improve services for sexually transmitted infections."

South Worcestershire's allocation was higher than the 8.1 per cent minimum rise for all PCTs because the Department of Health is trying to ensure fairer funding across different areas.

Based on population age and levels, as well as deprivation indicators, ministers think that South Worcestershire, along with Wyre Forest, Redditch and Bromsgrove and Herefordshire, deserve a greater proportion of primary care spending.

Wyre Forest is to receive a 9.2 per cent per cent rise (to £124m) in 2006/7, followed by a 10.9 per cent increase (£137.4m) in 2007/8.

Redditch and Bromsgrove will get 9.1 per cent more (£180.2m) in 2006/7 and 9.6 per cent in 2007/8 (£197.6m).

Herefordshire will receive 9.2 per cent more in 2006/7 (£202.8), and 11.7 per cent in 2007/8 (£226.3m).