Hard-pressed nursing staff are pulling out all the stops to meet national standards for waiting lists.

Difficulties in recruiting workers means nurses at Oxford's hospitals, the John Radcliffe, Churchill and Radcliffe Infirmary, are under great pressure.

At a board meeting of the Oxford Radcliffe Trust, members emphasised the commitment shown by workers in meeting national targets.

Janet Grant, deputy director of nursing, said there were now 800 fewer patients waiting for in-patient treatment than six months ago. She said the trust now had to cut waiting lists by another 1,300 by next April. And she added that staff were demoralised.

John MacDonald, chief executive of the trust, said: "This is a very significant achievement and took a lot of very hard work to get there. "Our problems recruiting are putting quite a pressure on staff.

"The first nurses arrive from Australia on December 13, but we realise that is not an ongoing solution."

Peter Bagnall, chairing the meeting, said that reports of increases in patients waiting were misleading because different operations were now included where they were not before.

He said trying to compare figures from a year ago with today's figures was 'like comparing apples to oranges'.

Funding and staffing pressures mean the accident and emergency unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital is not meeting national targets for patients.

Over the last six months, only 66 per cent of patients were treated within one hour compared to the target of 90 per cent. Only 72 per cent of patients were found a bed within two hours against a target of 100 per cent.

But Mr Bagnall claimed all major casualties were being dealt with in time.

He said it was those awaiting treatment for 'minor' problems, who were forced to wait.

Non-executive board member Mary Judge suggested a volunteer be trained to reassure patients they had not been forgotten.

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