AROUND 60 per cent of referrals for hospital appointments would be delayed by six weeks as part of plans to ease pressure on the NHS in St Helens over the busy winter period.

The proposal to postpone non-urgent referrals - which is set to come into force from December 1 until February 29, 2016 - could save more than £900,000, says St Helens Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

The CCG's governing body has approved the plan and St Helens health and wellbeing board, consisting of health chiefs and councillors, is likely to give it the final go-ahead at a meeting at the town hall today (Thursday).

Under the plan, doctors will continue to refer sick children, people with possible cancers and patients whose condition is considered urgent or who are at risk of deterioration.

Patients will be asked by their GP to sign a form agreeing to defer their referral by six weeks. And despite the delay, postponed referrals will still be "unlikely to breech" the NHS 18-week referral-to-treatment target, according to a CCG report.

The report, by the CCG's interim director of commissioning Chrissie Cooke, says there is a "need to assist the health system to manage winter pressures and to achieve financial savings by implementing a six-week delay in elective referrals" over the three-month period.

The plan also aims to reduce pressure on the A&E department over the period - when rises in flu, COPD and falls - after Whiston was among national hospitals coming under fire last winter for failing to meet four-hour targets for treating patients at A&E.

Dr Hilary Flett, CCG governing body member and St Helens GP said: "During the winter months the NHS experiences delays and cancellations as a result of increased pressure on urgent care services in hospital.

"This scheme will not affect referrals for children, patients who are suspected of having cancer, vulnerable people or those requiring urgent treatment.

Any patients who do not wish to wait, will be referred as normal."

He added: "Local people are being advised about simple things they can do to help their local NHS, for example using their pharmacy for the treatment of minor ailments like coughs and colds, cancelling appointments which are no longer required and only ordering the prescription medication they need."