AN extra £2.9m will be lent to a healthcare organisation to ensure national waiting times will be met.

The money has been lent to the Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group by NHS England for 2017/18 and will have to be paid back in the future.

This bring the CCG's deficit for the year ahead to £4.5m.

But the money will go towards improving waiting times for patients to be treated in hospital.

Hazel Braund, director of operations at the CCG, said they would need to spend this money anyway to address the issue.

She said: "This is really good news for patients in Herefordshire. Their treatment will be brought forward."

Accountable officer, Simon Hairsnape, said it shows NHS England has increased confidence in the CCG and means an extra £2.9m will be put into healthcare in Herefordshire this year.

The CCG will work with Wye Valley NHS Trust, NHS England and NHS Improvement to remove the risk associated with the waiting times.

From December to March, 82.2 percent of patients were treated in hospital within 18 weeks after being referred by their GP but the target is 92 percent.

The trust met the 31-day diagnosis to treatment for patients with diagnosed cancer with 98.8 percent, the target is 96 percent.

But achieved 80.6 percent for the 62-day referral to treatment target for patients with suspected cancer- the target is 85 percent.

And the trust achieved 86.9 percent of patients being seen within four hours at A&E, compared to the target of 95 percent.