THE local NHS Trust has approached private hospitals for help to deal with its "serious" waiting list problems.

Morecambe Bay NHS Trust is struggling to meet waiting list targets just two months into the new financial year and is considering a number of emergency options.

Worst affected are out-patients in the district waiting more than 26 weeks for treatment. There are 240 more people than expected waiting for more than six months following an explosion in the number of referrals from GPs.

Health chiefs are alarmed that GP referrals are 2,000 higher across the Bay than this time last year which is putting a great strain on services.

A special meeting has been held to see how people waiting the longest can best receive treatment, weekend surgery is being set up and discussions are taking place with the private sector to help reduce the numbers waiting for cataract operations.

The number of people waiting for tonsil and adenoid treatment has risen to 330 as hospitals wait for extra supplies of single-use surgical instruments following the fear of contamination by the human form of Mad Cow's disease.

There have also been very high levels of emergency admissions and delays in discharging patients waiting for Social Service assessments.

No one at the local NHS Trust was available to comment on the figures.

The situation will be discussed by the Community Health Council at a public meeting at the Elms Hotel, Bare, on July 9 at 7.15pm.