COUNTY health officials have accused the Government of getting its numbers wrong after it said Oxfordshire had cancelled more operations than anywhere else in England.

NHS England has published statistics in a bid to show how well hospitals are coping with winter pressures.

But the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust (OUHT) say figures which show 161 routine operations were cancelled in 10 days this month were wrong.

It comes just days after county council leader Ian Hudspeth accused secretary of state Eric Pickles of getting his facts wrong in a row over budgets.

A spokeswoman for the OUHT said: “This is unvalidated data and also inaccurate.”

The figures have been published for the whole country in the first snapshot of the pressures health trusts will face this winter.

But the trust said the numbers did not add up, saying that in July, August and September a total of 157 routine operations – 0.7 per cent in total – were cancelled. “Clearly 161 is not right,” the spokeswoman said.

NHS England yesterday said it was up to OUHT to make sure the figures that it was providing to the Government were correct.

A spokesman for NHS England (South) said: “The quality of daily situation reports is extremely important.

“It is the responsibility of each trust to ensure their return is accurate, complete, and fit for purpose.

“NHS England is committed to working with trusts to address any data queries.”

Experts last night warned this year still could be the worst winter on record for the county’s health service as the trust battles bed-blocking targets.

The new figures show how hospitals performed between November 4 and 13. The trust does not dispute statistics showing Oxfordshire hospitals are the worst for bed-blocking – with 127 cases recorded in one day.

The figures also show admissions are already rising – from 1,184 out of 1,394 beds occupied on November 4 to 1,213 on November 13.

They also show that 12 patients were diverted from Oxfordshire’s emergency departments and 25 ambulances queued to drop off patients at A&E.

The trust says other trusts have not provided figures on diversions.

Oxford East MP Andrew Smith said: “It is worrying that hospitals are under such pressure already.

“The colder weather is only just getting started.”

Ann Tomline, of Long Wittenham, who was bed-blocked at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford after a bad fall in February, said: “They have got to employ more staff and open more wards.”

As a result of winter pressures, the OUHT has urged patients to try to avoid going to a hospital unnecessarily and has issued guidance for confused patients.

Director of clinical services Paul Brennan said: “We expect to see an increase in admissions due to health problems associated with colder weather and also a higher proportion of frail and elderly patients who may need admission to a hospital bed.

“It’s vital that our emergency departments are able to concentrate on patients who are really unwell, and we urge people to seek help from community-based services such as their GP and pharmacies, especially if they have a condition made worse in winter.”