Cutting waiting times

By December 2008, there will be a maximum waiting time for non-emergency consultant-led treatment of 18 weeks.

That means patients will wait a maximum of four-and-a-half months from when they are referred by their GP to receiving treatment.

An East Sussex-wide Project Board, which includes GPs and hospital managers, has been set up to achieve this target.

There is also an internal hospital board chaired by Dr Tim Arnold, which oversees the work of project leader, Les Saunders.

Mr Saunders said: "This target will effectively end waiting for hospital treatment as a major issue in the NHS.

"We are aiming to transform the way we deliver services to patients in order to cut unnecessary waits.

"Delivery of this target will be a real achievement, considering that a short time ago, some patients waited years for treatment.

"To get this down to 18-weeks will be great news for patients."

A number of milestones have been established to make sure the hospital is on target. By October this year, the first patients will be on the 18-week pathway, and by March next year, 85 per cent of patients will be seen within 18 weeks.

Since 1997, the Government has poured millions of pounds' of investment into the NHS.