PROBLEMS at a new £97m hospital could lead to 'unacceptable' delays in treating patients with cancer, according to a new report.

This week members of North Durham Health Care NHS Trust considered a highly critical report from district auditors.

And at Wednesday's trust meeting it was announced that the board will now seek a new full-time cancer services manager.

As part of routine checks to see whether North-East hospitals are meeting the NHS Plan a team of auditors visited the University Hospital of North Durham between August and October.

They highlighted seven areas as being at 'high risk' of failing to meet national waiting list NHS targets, including maximum two week waiting times for suspected cancer patients, including 16 which related to breast cancer.

Worryingly, auditors said 'significant' numbers of patients referred by GPs as routine should have been categorised as urgent and vice versa, which could cause 'unacceptable delays in diagnosing tumours in other patients.'

The auditors criticised management for spending money on extra operating sessions and outpatient clinics instead of investing in long-term solutions.

While the report said the new hospital had 'greatly enhanced the trust's ability to meet targets for cleanliness' and improvements in staffing in the accident and emergency department it criticised: a failure to achieve waiting list targets; increasing numbers of cancelled operations; a financial deficit of approaching £2.5m; problems in persuading consultants to change working practices; lack of senior staff and failure to bring in a 24-hour food service.

Concern was also expressed about the trust's practice of paying staff higher private rates to clear waiting lists in their own time.

A trust spokesman said: "The issues highlighted in the report are the key challenges for our new management team, which we are in the process of appointing.

"It is important to stress this has nothing to do with the Private Funding Initiative with which University Hospital was built.

"Some good progress has been identified. There is also progress in booked admissions where we have a much more flexible approach to help patients.

"Waiting lists are being reduced and by the end of December the trust will have no one waiting more than 12 months."

l NHS Bupa plan sparks speculation: Page 3.