POLICE have earmarked £500,000 for private medical treatment for injured officers, because NHS waiting times are too long.

Thames Valley Police – which is cutting frontline staff numbers – hopes the cash can help up to 60 invalid officers back to work each year.

It is taking the money from its savings “to avoid NHS waiting times”, a force report said.

The budget for private health care – known as the “Optima” programme – was slashed in 2010/11 from £216,000 to £45,000 to “preserve officer numbers”.

But that has now been increased by £500,000 to cover the next five years.

There are currently 16 officers on long-term sick leave in Oxfordshire, including four who have physical injuries.

Chief Constable Sara Thornton said: “In one case, an MRI scan had an 18-week waiting list.

“It is absolutely what we were doing in the past, we just had less money to use.”

Scan waits could be two weeks privately, she said.

The force is to cut officer numbers by 400 to 4,034 by March 2015 and its back-room staff by 459 to 2,541.

Its decision to boost the private healthcare fund was welcomed by the Thames Valley branch of the Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers.

Chairman Graham Smith said: “We have a lot of reserves and they should use some for officers to get back on the frontline.”

He said knee injuries and slipped discs in the back were among reasons for officers being taken off the frontline.

Cash was vital for operations and care like physiotherapy.

He said: “Any cuts to police officer numbers is wrong, it is a prima facie duty of the Government to ensure the people of the country are protected from the criminal fraternity.

“I don’t want to lose any frontline officers – this is about getting officers back to full duty.”

A force spokesman said: “Thames Valley Police is dedicated to supporting its officers and staff, and will facilitate the necessary medical treatment in order to accelerate the return to work of officers and staff following serious injury or sickness.

“This new funding will only be spent if there is a business case that justifies the expenditure, but it is useful to have the facility should it be required.”

Latest NHS figures, for March, show 91 per cent of patients who needed an overnight stay were seen within 18 weeks.

And 97 per cent of patients were seen within 18 weeks if they did not require an overnight stay.

The average wait for all specialties was about two weeks.

But charity Nuffield Health, which runs the private Manor Hospital, said its waits are as little as a week and usually no more than two weeks.

A spokesman said waits for an MRI scan were within 48 hours and generally cost £480 to £690 for those who do not have health insurance.

The £500,000 is part of £2.4m reserves spending approved by Thames Valley Police Authority last month.

The Oxford Mail reported last week that the force is to spend £500,000 tackling child exploitation.

The spending comes in the wake of arrests over an alleged sex gang in Oxford, in a probe called Operation Bullfinch.