A NEW computer system has been partly blamed for why Winchester hospital patients wait longer for treatment than the national average.

The Department of Health statistics showed that only 22 per cent of patients are treated at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital within 18 weeks of referral from a GP - 19 per cent lower than in Southampton, and 26 per cent lower than the national average.

The figures also revealed large variations in waiting times for different types of procedures and operations at Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare Trust, which runs the RHCH and Andover War Memorial Hospitals.

In the ear, nose and throat department, only five per cent were seen within the 18-week deadline, compared with 67 per cent in general medicine.

The Government has set a key target that by the end of next year, nobody should wait more than the 18 weeks from referral to start of treatment.

Previous assessments of waiting times have been from diagnosis.

The new target is aimed at tackling the "hidden wait".

But Julie Beal, acting chief executive of Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare Trust, said the trust was the first in Hampshire to go live with the new NHS national computer record system - and it didn't monitor the new waiting times target.

Staff had to record the data manually, leaving uncertainty about the quality of information.

Mrs Beal said: "While it is disappointing to be shown as a poor performer on the Department of Health data, this is not an accurate position, and we continue to put in every effort to reduce waiting times for local people."

The trust is now a pilot site working with the DoH to update the computer system so hospitals with the new IT can record the new target.

Mrs Beal said: "We will have both the software and procedures for accurate performance monitoring in place by December 2007 at the latest.

"This is a full 12 months before the new national target becomes operative."

But Winchester MP Mark Oaten said Government underfunding and the drive to cut costs to balance the books in the last financial year had impacted on waiting times He said: "The hospital trust has tried desperately to cut costs without impacting on patient care, but these figures show it has reached tipping point.

"I do not accept such a wide variation can be explained purely by technical data capture terms. I believe the hospital has suffered from the cuts.

"Closing wards and reducing admin and medical staff must have impacted on waiting times."

Steve Brine, the prospective Tory party candidate for Winchester, said patient targets had slipped behind the rest of the country because of the trust's battle with deficits.

He said: "We need to do two things in my view; fight for a much fairer settlement for Hampshire when it comes to the distribution of NHS cash, and to get behind Winchester & Eastleigh Healthcare Trust as it bids for foundation' status, so Winchester's hospital can be freed from endless government reorganisations and a damaging culture of targets."

Meanwhile, hospital bosses say new ways of working, new equipment and extra nurses, clerical and admin staff, will put the trust on track to meet the 18-week deadline by December 2008.