GPs in Hertfordshire have been told not to refer patients to West Herts Trust hospitals in a bid to control soaring waiting times, the Observer has learned.

NHS Herts Valley CCG has told GPs to refrain from referring patients to West Hertfordshire NHS Trust (WHHT) for non-urgent appointments wherever possible, and has particularly encouraged GPs to not refer for certain specialties, including cardiology, ENT, urology, pain, and general surgery.

Instead GPs have been told to refer patients to alternative hospitals, including private providers, while the Trust is in the process transferring existing referrals to the private hospitals.

This is in a bid to cut waiting times at the trust – which runs Watford General Hospital and St Albans City Hospital - which has failed to meet national 18-week referral to treatment targets.

The plans also coincide with the trust’s upcoming re-assessment from the care quality commission after it was rated “inadequate” last year and put into special measures.

NHS Herts Valley CCG has asked GPs ‘wherever possible to refer to alternative NHS and independent sector providers’ in a letter sent earlier this month headed ‘urgent for action’

In addition they have been told not to refer any patients at all to eight specific specialties ‘for the next three months in the first instance’.

Chris White, Liberal Democrat country health spokesman, said: “This is very worrying, especially in the context of the national financial position facing the NHS. I will certainly be raising the issue at the next meeting of the Health Scrutiny Committee.”

The eight specialties that are particularly hard-pressed include cardiology, ENT, urology, pain, general surgery, ophthalmology, trauma and orthopaedics and rheumatology.

Neil Wyatt, NHS Herts Valleys CCG communications officer, said:

“West Hertfordshire Hospital Trust is currently experiencing some pressures on its ability to deliver the required waiting time of 18 weeks.

“To minimise waiting times for patients we have advised GPs at all of our 69 practices across West Herts that they can suggest alternative non-urgent referrals to patients away from WHHT for a short period of time to allow the trust to clear the backlog of patients waiting.

“The impending Care Quality Commission inspection is entirely unconnected with the recent action on GP referrals and is entirely consistent with looking after the needs of the local population.”

During the freeze on patients’ admissions to the Trust’s hospitals, people in urgent need to care will be admitted, but all other patients will be diverted to other NHS and independent sector providers.

WHHT is putting on extra clinics and theatres as well as transferring some of its operations on the private sector.

Mr Wyatt said: “We are focused purely on making sure patients can receive their treatment more quickly. It is the intention of the CCG to encourage referrals elsewhere if that will minimise delays for patients and it encourages community service alternatives.

“One of the aims of the review is to see more people receive care closer to home rather than in hospital settings.”