Waiting times at West Hertfordshire hospitals could increase after plans to scrap fines for missing key targets were announced.

A new seven-point plan, released by NHS England and NHS Improvement earlier in July, aims to reduce the drastic budget deficits at approximately 50 hospitals across the country, including Watford General Hospital and St Albans City Hospital.

As a result of the new measures, NHS trusts will no longer be fined for missing the four-hour A&E waiting time target, the 62-day cancer treatment target, or the 18-week routine operation target.

Instead trusts must demonstrate improvement on the previous year’s performance to earn a slice of a £1.8 billion fund offered by NHS England as an incentive.

Jon Michael said on behalf of West Hertfordshire Hospital Trust the removal of the penalties “would not diminish our determination to deliver against all waiting time targets”.

“The Trust works closely with its commissioners to make sure that we spend our NHS resources as wisely as possible.

“We continue to work hard to treat our patients in the most timely way possible,” he added.

Last year, all NHS trusts were set the target of seeing 95 per cent of A&E patients in less than four hours. Under the old rules, trusts were issued with a £120 fine for each patient not seen in that timescale beyond the five per cent buffer.

Trusts were also charged £400 per patient who did not receive a routine operation in 18 weeks or less, and £1,000 for each cancer patient not treated within 62 days.

However it had been argued that the punishments dished out for exceeding waiting time targets is counterproductive and heaps additional financial pressure on already ailing trusts.

Last year, trusts racked up a record-breaking £2.45 billion deficit. The aim of this new plan is to slash the deficit to £250 million in 2016/17.

Trusts which continue to miss their new targets face having senior management figures parachuted in to patch up their finances.

Trusts and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) can also be put into special measures under the new plans.

Five trusts have already been placed under such measures – Croydon Health Services, Barts Health in east London, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells, Norfolk and Norwich Hospitals, and North Bristol.

Another 13 trusts have been threatened with similar treatment.  

Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of NHS England, said: “Precisely because the pressures across the NHS are real and growing, we need to use this year both to stabilise finances and kick-start the wider changes everyone can see are needed.

“Most trusts and CCGs know what needs to get done to release funds for local reinvestment in better patient care and now is clearly the time to fire the starting gun.”