DESPITE the fact that 287 people had to wait 11 months for surgery, Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust is meeting its waiting time targets for operations.

It's good news that 3,700 patients were operated on within 12 months but not so good if you were one of those who missed out.

Health minister John Hutton says no one should have to wait longer than six months for an operation by 2005 and other ways being used to reduce waiting times is to offer people treatment at other hospitals. Surely that is not ideal when relatives have to travel to visit or may not have the chance to do so.

These queues are unacceptable in our 21st century hospital and the drive to cut down times must go on relentlessly.