Hertsmere MP James Clappison has hit out at Government waiting list targets after visiting Barnet General Hospital to investigate complaints.

The Conservative MP, who visited the hospital on Tuesday, was acting on complaints from his constituents about long waiting lists at the hospital.

These include one from an elderly man from Potters Bar who had been waiting for an urgent hip operation since January, but has still not been given a date for his operation.

'I understand it's not an isolated incident, I've had a number of complaints from constituents who are waiting for operations at the hospital, and some have had their surgery cancelled,' he said.

When he met the hospital's chief executive, Elizabeth Heyer, he was told the hospital was due to add another 30 beds in September, but he is worried that the real problem facing patients could be the effect waiting lists have on the way hospitals work.

'My personal view is that Government waiting list targets are not helping matters.

I think hospitals are carrying out selective surgery, where difficult cases are left in order to fulfil the waiting list targets, while the easier operations are carried out quickly to balance the figures.'

Mr Clappison welcomed the promise of extra beds at Barnet General, but said he would still be monitoring the situation closely in the future.

'It is plainly unacceptable for people to be waiting in agony for long periods of time, it must cause them distress,' he said.

A spokesman for Barnet and Chase Farm NHS Trust denied Mr Clappison's allegation, saying: 'At no time have operations such as hip replacements been put back in order to carry out more simple procedures.

'All operations are carried out according to clinical need, on a day to day basis. Ultimately it is the clinical priority that decides when procedures are carried out.'