PCT expects further poor waiting times figures from Royal Bolton

In 2011-12 NHS Bolton is required to have 90 per cent of admitted patients treated within 18 weeks of referral. The primary care trust’s latest performance report, published last month, states that its figures for October are “an incomplete picture as Bolton NHS Foundation Trust has failed to submit an 18-week RTT return for October due to data integrity problems”.

The PCT expects that once the trust’s 18-week figures are published they will “deteriorate the PCT’s position to having failed this target”.

“RBH’s poor performance has been discussed at length and a process to clear the backlog of long waiters is being discussed. Both the SHA and NHS Manchester have been updated,” the report continues. “RBH has been advised that continued poor performance from August 2011 will lead to contractual penalties being invoked.”