WAITING lists for hospital treatment rose during December due to winter pressures, said Health Minister John Denham.
In Blackburn, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley, 5,054 patients were waiting for treatment by the end of the month, compared to 4,776 in November, a rise of 5.8 per cent.
Burnley General Hospital had a waiting list of 4,997 patients compared to 4,674 in November, a rise of almost seven per cent.
Mr Denham said waiting lists always rise during the winter but better planning this year meant the increase was only half last year's rise.
He said: "Overall the trend is still downward. The total waiting list across the North West is eight per cent lower than it was at the same time in 1999."
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