HC Deb 03 December 1991 vol 200 cc128-9
2. Sir Fergus Montgomery

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many in-patients are waiting for treatment currently; and how many were waiting in March 1979.

The Secretary of State for Health (Mr. William Waldegrave)

There were 752,422 people waiting for in-patient treatment in March 1979 and 692,946 in March 1991—a drop of 8 per cent. However it is the time that patients wait that matters. Latest provisional figures for in-patients and day cases for September 1991 show that in the past six months the number of patients waiting over a year fell by 7 per cent. and the number waiting over two years fell by 16 per cent. This builds on the record reductions achieved last year. Comparisons with 1979 can be made only for in-patients. On that basis the number waiting over 12 months is now 27 per cent. lower than in March 1979. Details have been placed in the Library.

Sir Fergus Montgomery

Does my right hon. Friend agree that those figures clearly show the progress that the Government are making? Will he confirm that in the north-west region the latest figures show a fall of 26 per cent. since last March in the number of patients having to wait more than a year? Are not those figures the best in the whole of England?

Mr. Waldegrave

It gives me pleasure to confirm that my hon. Friend's region has been the winner in the past six months, and that waits of more than one year have been reduced by 26 per cent. while waits of more than two years have been reduced by 37 per cent.

Mr. Gareth Wardell

Will the Secretary of State tell the House how many magnetic resonance imagers are available in England and Wales to provide essential diagnostic information, given that the town of Portland in Oregon has 14?

Mr. Waldegrave

I do not have the figure to hand, although I can assure the hon. Gentleman that it is a great many more than in 1979. I will write to him.

Dame Jill Knight

I thank my right hon. Friend on behalf of the west midlands, which is also high in the league table. The numbers waiting two years have fallen by some 31 per cent. in my area, and we are most grateful for that.

Mr. Waldegrave

I can confirm that my hon. Friend is right —over two-year waits in the west midlands are down by 31 per cent. and over one-year waits are down by 24 per cent. That shows the real progress that is being made on the waiting lists initiative and towards fulfilling our commitment to get rid of all over two-year waits by next year.

Ms. Harman

Can the Secretary of State point to any year in the past 10 in which the September in-patient waiting list figures have not been higher than for every year under Labour? While he is dealing with waiting list figures, will he tell us more about the figures for day patients? Does he admit that the waiting list for day patients has shot up by 50 per cent? Does he also admit that for the first time in the history of the national health service, waiting lists for day patients and in-patients combined have risen above 900,000 people?

Mr. Waldegrave

The hon. Lady persists—1 do not think that it is because she does not understand—in making the bogus comparison between in-patient and out-patient waits now and in 1979. I am proud that we have greatly increased the facilities for day-case treatment. That was right. Therefore, there are increasing numbers of people on the waiting lists for such treatment and they are being treated rapidly. I hope that she will welcome that —if she understands it, which I believe she does.