CONCERNS over unreasonable waiting times for hip or knee surgery have been dispelled by Swindon’s Clinical Commissioning Group.

A national outcry this week suggested that there was an increase in waiting times and that surgery was being rationed.

But the CCG said this week that the majority of patients needing hip or knee surgery are being seen in less than the national target time of 18 weeks.

Patients needing routine operations such as hip and knee replacements are meant to be treated within 18 weeks under NHS guidelines.

While Swindon CCG acknowledged there is more demand on its services, with nearly 2,000 people waiting for orthopaedic surgery, a spokesman said almost 90 per cent were seen within 18 weeks.

Dr Peter Mack, clinical chair of Swindon CCG, said: “There has been a strong increase in demand on the number of patients requiring hip and knee replacements in Swindon and this is due in part to people living longer and being more likely to end up with joint problems.

“We currently have 1,917 number of patients waiting for orthopaedic surgery in Swindon (this number is not specifically just for hip and knee replacements) and 88.7 per cent of those patients have been seen in less than the national target time of 18 weeks.

“Patients do have a choice as to where they receive their treatment and the NHS e-Referral Service lets them book at a hospital or clinic of their choice”.

A patient undergoing treatment for a knee injury at the Great Western Hospital said complex referral procedures were making the problem of mounting waiting lists worse, not better.

“Referring patients with knee trouble to an orthopaedic centre to lessen the strain on the waiting list doesn’t work.

“It doesn’t lessen the problem, it just moves it to another queue.”

A Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust spokesman said: “Each month around 600 patients have an orthopaedic operation at the Great Western Hospital.

“Despite the high demand for our services, 90 per cent of patients referred by their GP receive treatment within 18 weeks of being referred.

“We are always doing all we can to reduce waiting times with extra appointments and virtual clinics which give our clinicians more treatment time.”

“We also offer some patients the choice of having their operation at local private hospitals where waiting times are likely to be shorter.”

The pressures of an increasing population who are living longer have caused the number of people facing long waits for hospital treatment in England to more than double in the last four years.

Figures from NHS England revealed the numbers waiting longer than that now top 350,000 — a 163 per cent rise since 2012.

There are 3.7m people in total on the waiting list.