York District Hospital has been given a boost for its efforts to meet waiting list and waiting time targets, as external experts have praised its "very committed staff" and said it has "excellent systems and policies".

The York Health Trust board today received reports showing that the number of people waiting more than 12 months for in-patient treatment had reduced to 87 and its overall in-patient list had reduced to 6,289.

The number of outpatients waiting over 13 weeks also dropped to 2,189, though that remains 686 above the trust's current target.

Health chiefs are pleased that their efforts to reduce the lists have been recognised by the NHS Regional Patient Access Team, which visited York in November, despite setbacks like the Norwalk virus which left wards closed and operations postponed in April and May.

The team's report says: "The trust has very committed staff who are clear about their roles and responsibilities. It was clear from our visit that excellent systems and policies are already in place within the trust."

The experts also believed the trust would achieve its waiting list targets by the end of the financial year in March 2001.

Patrick Crowley, the trust's director of performance management, said they were back on track thanks to the enormous goodwill and hard work of all staff, with extra clinics and theatre lists worked in a number of specialties.

andrew.hitchon@ycp.co.uk