TEN departments at hospitals across York and North Yorkshire have failed to hit targets for patient referral waiting times.

The latest report from North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust (PCT) shows just over half of 19 departments are not on track to meet their target for patients requiring hospital treatment.

But Trust chiefs said today they were confident they would hit the targets by next March.

The Government wants every hospital in the country to cut waiting times between GP referrals and treatment to below 18 weeks for all their patients by December 2008.

In order to reach the 100 per cent figure, hospitals are expected to meet milestones of 85 per cent for patients admitted to hospital and 90 per cent for non-admitted patients by March 2008.

However, the report shows that in July, just over half of the departments in PCT hospitals - including trauma and orthopaedics, ophthalmology and neurosurgery - were not on track to meet the March milestone for patients who need to be admitted to hospital.

Nine departments, including urology, cardiothoracic surgery and gastroenterology, had successfully met targets for patients admitted to hospital.

At the same time, all departments were on track to meet targets for patients who do not require hospital admission.

The report states: "Initial performance against the trajectory is positive, but considerable progress will be required to meet the March 2008 milestones.

"An internal group has now been established to take forward work on intermediate tier and PCT-provided services to ensure that a whole pathway approach to achieving no delays is achieved."

The new group, called the Programme Board, has been working to improve the wait between referral and treatment by working with GPs, hospitals and community services.

Action taken to keep departments on track includes: improving speed of access to diagnostic services, simplifying patient pathways, and continuing to drive down waiting times for patients' first outpatient consultation and admission.

A PCT spokesman said: "Data shows we are on trajectory to meet the target. This work is supported by colleagues across the Yorkshire and Humber region.

"Performance against all existing targets is monitored on a monthly basis and this will continue to be the case when the new 18-week target is implemented at the end of next year."

The PCT denied that controversial Prior Approval Panels - which can overturn GPs' decisions to refer patients for treatment - were causing any delays in treatment.

The spokesman said: "If there is any dispute a particular treatment it would go to the panel but we would still have to make sure it met the 18-week target even with that process in between.

"There is a turnaround target of five days from referral to the panel, providing all the required information has been provided.

"Some exceptional cases, however, may take longer. This system will not affect the 18-week target."

The report is available on the PCT website www.nyypct.nhs.uk.