GWENT hospitals are struggling to meet a key waiting times target for patients who are admitted for treatment.

Ninety-five per cent or more of patients who need to be admitted to hospital for their treatment should be dealt with inside 26 weeks of being referred by their GP.

But a little over 90 per cent of Gwent patients admitted for treatment during February were dealt with inside 26 weeks, leaving almost 10 per cent, or more than 300, who had waited between 26 an 36 weeks - and a further nine who had waited more than 36 weeks.

The problem is not confined to Gwent, and health board bosses across Wales are struggling with capacity issues.

In Gwent, orthopaedic capacity has been stretched by a 15 per cent increase in referrals during the past year, while general surgery and ENT (ear, nose and throat) referrals are also up by several per cent.

These increases have added hundreds of patients to the waiting lists.

There are also worries among health chiefs that these increases are adding to the already high costs of treating patients.

In Gwent, estimates for treating sufficient patients to remain inside waiting times targets during 2010/11 are several millions of pounds over budget.

A second waiting times target - that a minimum of 98 per cent of patients who do not need to be admitted to hospital receive their treatment inside 26 weeks - is however, being met in Gwent.

In February, 8,813 of these patients, or 98.83 per cent, were dealt with inside 26 weeks, with 104 in the 26-36 weeks category.