EAST Lancashire Hospitals has met the Government target of 98 per cent of emergency patients being treated in four hours so far this month.

Health bosses believe the rate, which has been rising steadily since August, is evidence their 24/7 improvement programme is working.

Lynn Wissett, trust deputy chief executive and chairman of the 24/7 board, said: “The 24/7 programme is changing the way our staff work so they can carry out key services to the same high level 24 hours a day, seven days a week, not just nine to five.

“I am delighted that this effort, from everyone working in the trust, is paying real dividends, but we must continue our work to ensure patients receive timely and appropriate care.

“It is the individual patients, not the targets, which really matter. We are determined to ensure that this performance is sustainable, for the benefit of everyone in East Lancashire.”

Lesley Gaw has 16 years experience at Royal Blackburn Hospital, where she works as a matron on the medical admissions unit.

She said: “It’s working very well but we’ve had to change the culture and the way everybody works. It’s not working harder, it's working differently.

“We wanted to get people treated quicker and discharged quicker, so one of the things we have done is set up two fast-flow wards. If patients are only going to be here for a couple of days they go there. We have a consultant go around every day and every day 10 beds out of 20 are being freed up.

“There is a real focus on early discharge. We don’t get the build-up in A&E any longer.”

Clare Clark, who used to work at Burnley General Hospital, but now works in the urgent care centre at Blackburn, said the 24/7 measures have boosted morale because patients are being seen quicker, whether it is by a GP for a minor ailment or an A&E specialist.

She said: “The frustration for us at first was that staff couldn't get on with treating patients. But I think from our perspective it now feels a lot more buoyant."