THE Government faced acute embarrassment last night as hospital waiting lists lengthened - months ahead of an expected election.

Figures show that January saw waiting lists grow by 4,500 nationally, leading critics to claim the Government had failed to fulfil its pledge to cut lists.

The number of people waiting for inpatient treatment in the Northern and Yorkshire region rose from 121,335 in December, to 122,363 in January.

A spokeswoman for North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust, which had an extra 303 people join their waiting list, said the rise was a result of making space for increased emergencies over the winter.

She said: "We planned to reduce the number of operations we do, to deal with any busy period, so we inevitably have more people added to the waiting list."

York Health Services Trust, which runs York District Hospital, saw its list rise by 266 to 6,323, and the number of patients waiting more than 12 months go from 16 to 86.

Director of Performance Management, Patrick Crowley, said: "We have an ongoing bed problem and at crucial times we have to cancel elective surgery."

But he said the trust was forecasting a sharp fall in the number of patients waiting for surgery, with no one waiting more than 12 months before the end of March.

Tony Garrett, chief officer of North Tees Community Health Council, said some hospitals were facing problems in recruiting staff, making it harder to bring waiting lists down.

He said: "It is not a great increase in numbers but it means a lot to the person who is waiting."

Health Secretary Alan Milburn said waiting lists had risen by less than expected, with winter preparations better than ever before.

Yesterday, he launched a new scheme forcing hospitals to pay for private treatment if patients do not have the surgery they need within a month of their first operation being cancelled.

But Shadow Health Secretary Dr Liam Fox said the figures showed the Government had not met its manifesto target of reducing waiting lists.

He said: "Alan Milburn seems to think that the latest figures are a cause for rejoicing. The patients whose operations were cancelled in the last month will tell him the exact opposite."