ATTEMPTS to reduce enormous hospital waiting lists in Oxfordshire could be scuppered by GPs anxious to see their patients treated.

Ironically, local doctors are placing more and more sick people on waiting lists for surgery - because they keep hearing how efficient the care is.

The John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, which has the county's largest waiting list, has also fallen victim to the huge range of treatment it offers. The more innovative treatment they can offer, say specialists, the bigger the pool of patients who can be helped.

Colin Jones, chief executive of Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, in Headington, said: "There is an ongoing trend to improve efficiency and there are new advances in technology and treatment that becomes available all the time.

"Both these twin problems are leading to more referrals coming on."

Oxfordshire Health Authority is taking drastic steps to reduce waiting lists after the number of patients waiting for treatment leapt by 2,000 last year.

The authority has pledged to cut its list by nearly 3,000 patients to just 10,744 within the next ten months, helped by the Government's promised £3m to reduce the high list, which was finalised on Thursday, by providing more beds too.

Authority chief executive Michael Taylor said the extra money will free up operating theatre time and staff to reduce the list.

But Mr Jones fears that without permanent increases in Government funding, it could be just a pipedream. He said: "I think it is a real herculean task to get this back down."

It is hoped the list will be cut by 345 patients by the end of June, and will continue down to 10,744. But this will still not be as low as in March 1996, when 10,169 patients were on the list.

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