OXFORDSHIRE hospitals were among the worst for hitting a key waiting time measure, after they took far too long to treat 360 people.

Latest figures show the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust ranks 157th out of 190 NHS providers for leaving patients waiting more than 18 weeks for treatment.

Some 2,780 met the expected standard of 90 per cent of patients seen in 18 weeks, in April, but 360 waited longer.

Labour introduced the target as a minimum guarantee of NHS waiting times, covering initial referral by a GP to final treatment.

It was scrapped as an official target by the coalition Government, but Prime Minister David Cameron pledged patients would be seen “within the limit” and trusts would be expected to meet it.

Bosses last night said performance against the target at centres including the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford and Horton Hospital, Banbury, had improved.

In April last year, 75 per cent of patients were seen within the time frame, leaving some 591 waiting too long.

Paul Brennan, director of clinical services, said bosses had been focused on clearing a backlog of patients.

He said: “Performance against the 18-week standard for patients who are ‘admitted’ has improved considerably since last year.”

This was 88 per cent in May and 90 per cent is expected in June, he said.

But in a board meeting this month, Mr Brennan admitted more work needed to be done in getting patients to their first appointment and tests.

He said “much more work has to be put into reducing delays in the diagnostic and outpatient settings, to allow increased scheduling time through the in-patient resources, beds and theatres”.

The trust said it increased the number of operating sessions to speed up waits.

Nationally, 51 trusts, a third, missed the 90 per cent measure, up from 25 last April.

Former GP Peter Skolar, chairman of the county’s joint health overview and scrutiny committee, promised to raise the issue with trust chief executive Sir Jonathan Michael.

He added: “The key thing is not ticking boxes but giving clinical priority to outpatients who need to be seen soonest.”

Department of Health spokesman Charles Whitney said: “Waiting times are only one part of high quality patient care, we also want the NHS to focus on the actual results it delivers.”