MORECAMBE Bay hospitals are missing key waiting targets as a result of 'significant pressure', a key health boss has said.

Figures released from the BBC show that within the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust (UHMBT), 89.4 per cent of patients visiting A&E were treated or admitted in four hours in September.

The target is 95 per cent which was last hit in August 2015, ranking the trust 66 out of 134.

And when it comes to planned operations and care, in August 88.3 per cent of patients were seen within 18 weeks - 3.7 per cent the 92 per cent target.

However, the trust is performing better when it comes to cancer care. 85.9 per cent of patients were seen within 62 days according to figures from August.

The target is 85 per cent and this time last year UHMBT was doing worse by 2.1 per cent.

Foluke Ajayi, chief operating officer for UHMBT said: “Our hospitals, along with many others across the country, continue to be under significant pressure.

"Unfortunately, this can sometimes mean patients wait longer than usual in our Emergency Departments (EDs) to be treated or to be admitted to a bed.

“We know that this is not an ideal situation for patients or our staff so we are working hard with our partners across health and social care to do all we can to address the pressures we are facing."

Ms Ajayi said that it was important to note that improving waiting times was not just about what is happening in the ED, but about patient flow throughout hospitals and community services.

She said that some of things the trust had done so far included:

-Expanding the size of Hospital Home Care Team, where Clinical Support Workers support patients in their homes until their care package is available

-Paramedics, clinical support workers and ED doctors staffing the minors area at Furness General Hospital’s ED at weekends

-Introducing a new two tier triage system at Furness General Hospital which means observations, etc, are now done by an upskilled Clinical Support Worker before they see the triage nurse which frees up nurses’ time to see patients quicker

-Wards now have a target of discharges before noon

-Introducing schemes to avoid unnecessary admissions to hospital

-Working with local care homes to increase capacity

"Members of the public can also help us by only using our EDs if they have a serious of life-threatening injury or illness," she said, recommending patients utilise self-care, pharmacies, NHS 111, the Primary Care Assessment Service at Westmorland General Hospital, and GP surgeries.