HC Deb 31 October 1995 vol 265 cc83-4
2. Mr. Battle

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact of underfunding of the United Leeds Hospital trust in this financial year on waiting lists. [38212]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Mr. Tom Sackville)

Leeds health authority is not underfunded. It has been allocated £4.5 million over and above its weighted capitation target for this year.

Mr. Battle

Does the Minister realise that Leeds local medical committee revealed in a recent survey that, contrary to his claims, orthopaedic outpatients have to wait for between 44 weeks, minimum, and 144 weeks for a first appointment? Whatever the reason for that, is it not totally unacceptable? Is it not time that the Minister took action to ensure that his health trusts provided for the health needs of our constituents—or will they be told that they must continue to suffer in silence?

Mr. Sackville

I certainly agree that a wait of 44 weeks is unacceptable; we have made that clear—to Leeds health authority, as well—by setting a target that no one should wait more than 26 weeks. The hon. Gentleman knows that waits for orthopaedic treatment in Leeds are not new, and that action is being taken to ensure more accurate and better referring by general practitioners, taking that into account.

The House should know, however, that those waits are not representative of waiting lists across all specialties in Leeds. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman has seen the overall figures, and he will know that 86 per cent. of patients are seen within 13 weeks and 96 per cent. within 26 weeks. That is close to the target that we set.

Mrs. Roe

Will my hon. Friend confirm that the patients charter means that, for the first time ever, patients, whether in Leeds or elsewhere in the country, have a guarantee of the maximum time that they should have to wait for an NHS operation?

Mr. Sackville

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and we look forward to all health authorities meeting those targets.

Mr. Barron

Do not patients, not only those in the United Leeds Hospital trust but in hospitals throughout the country, wait longer than the Department's patients charter standards? In the quarter ended 30 June 1995, the targets for new out-patients waiting times were not met—neither the 13-week nor the 26-week standard. Would not patients in Leeds and throughout the country be better served if some of the millions of pounds spent on internal market bureaucracy were spent instead on front-line patient care?

Mr. Sackville

Perhaps the hon. Gentleman would care to notice that, over the past year, the number of people waiting more than 12 months for non-emergency treatment in Leeds has fallen from more than 1,200 to 200. That represents considerable progress, when not only non-emergency but emergency demand has increased sharply. It is about time that Leeds and other health authorities received some credit from the Opposition.

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