A hospital has backed down over plans to place local patients on a waiting list, while performing operations on people from neighbouring counties.

Salisbury District Hospital was going to force people in Wiltshire to the back of the queue for hip, hernia and cataract operations because the county's health bosses did not offer as much money as surrounding counties for treating its patients.

The anomolous situation arose following the restructuring of the NHS, which means primary care trusts (PCTs) have to commission hospital treatment.

Salisbury Hospital said Wiltshire PCT had not offered enough money for the number of operations needed on people from the county.

It was an appalling decision, the PCT couldn't argue, and the patient was caught in the middle

Mick Clarke

On Tuesday Frank Harsent, chief executive of the Salisbury Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, confirmed the PCT in Wiltshire had slashed the funds it provided for routine surgery.

But, on Wednesday, the hospital board made a U-turn after complaints from the local health watchdog.

Salisbury Community Health Council chairman Mick Clarke said the idea that patients from Dorset and Hampshire would be seen sooner than Wiltshire patients was "madness".

She described it as "postcode medicine". But Ms Clarke claimed victory, after threatening to get the new Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority to overrule the policy which was due to come into force on Monday.

Reconsidered policy

"It's incredible, they have now backed down after being leaned on and after it was brought into the public domain.

"It was an appalling decision, the PCT couldn't argue, and the patient was caught in the middle. And the patient should always come first."

Hospital chief executive Frank Harsent said the board had reconsidered the policy which would have been the first of its kind by a hospital.

"Following the board decision made on Monday, we were always going to continue talking and we are now going to be working through it."