Shropshire and Staffordshire Strategic Health Authority is investing an extra �350m to cut waiting lists and provide better treatment.

Since the health authority was formed just over a year ago, 270,000 have been treated at hospitals across the counties.

One of the key priorities in the action plan is to reduce maximum waiting times for hospital appointments to three months.

By 2006 patients will also be able to book their hospital appointment from their GP's surgery and have a choice of where they want to be treated.