THE number of patients waiting more than12 months for treatment in East Lancashire hospitals dropped significantly in February, according to new figures.

The numbers waiting more than a year for treatment with the Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust dropped by 66.7 per cent during the month, from 15 patients to five, figures from the NHS Executive North West show.

In Burnley, there was also a drop in patients waiting more than 12 months, from 130 to 110 -- a drop of 15.4 per cent.

Burnley Healthcare NHS Trust also saw its overall waiting list drop during February, by 2.2 per cent, from 5,015 patients on waiting lists, to 4,903, a drop of 112.

At Blackburn, the trust's overall waiting list rose slightly by two per cent, from 5,047 patients to 5,147.

East Lancashire Health Authority's waiting lists saw an 8.8 per cent drop in patients waiting more than 12 months, from 228 to 208, while the overall waiting list rose by 0.1 per cent, from 12,567 patients, to 12,580.