Waiting Lists (Hansard, 20 May 1997)

§ 10. Mr. Boswell
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce hospital waiting lists. [413]

§ Ms Jowell
We will reduce the bureaucratic costs of the national health service, and the savings achieved will be used to improve direct patient care by reducing waiting lists for NHS patients. Our commitment is to end waiting periods for cancer surgery and, in particular, to speed up diagnosis and treatment for patients with breast cancer.

§ Mr. Boswell
I welcome the hon. Lady and her team to their onerous responsibilities. She will know that our constituents have recently expressed their grave concerns about the implications of the explosion in demand for health services. Given the fact that the new Government have no proposals for enhancing NHS funding and—to put it charitably—their restructuring proposals are unlikely to do anything to reduce bureaucracy, but may well increase it, how do she and her colleagues feel about sitting there fiddling like Nero while waiting lists expand further?

§ Ms Jowell
People throughout the country voted two weeks ago for a Government who would spend more in every pound on patient care rather than on the bureaucracy created by the discredited Government who have just left office. The Conservatives have left our Government with a waiting list situation that is set to get even worse. Perhaps the hon. Gentleman can apologise to his constituents for a legacy of complacency and neglect that will affect patients on waiting lists for a very long time.
Figures for the quarter ending in December showed the highest ever number of people on waiting lists, and they are waiting for longer periods—that is the measure by which our predecessors used to vaunt their great successes. Indications from the service in January and February show that the situation is worsening, with longer queues and lengthening waiting periods. Provisional figures for the quarter to the end of March will be published on Thursday. We will not take any lessons from 499 the previous Government on how to keep promises to patients and rebuild confidence in our national health service.

§ Mr. Stevenson
Is my hon. Friend aware that in North Staffordshire, in crucial areas of treatment, waiting lists are increasing? When considering this important area of national health service policy, will she take into account health authorities such as North Staffordshire which have consistently been denied the resources that the Department of Health says that they should have to meet their targets?

Ms Jowelll
My hon. Friend expresses a widespread concern. His constituents will wish to ensure that the health care that they receive is being funded by resources that are being used to maximum effect for patient care. That is why our commitment to reduce the amount spent on bureaucracy and to increase the amount spent on patient care will be an important benefit and, no doubt, will be welcomed by my hon. Friend's constituents.
The last quarter's available figures for waiting lists showed a fivefold increase in the number of patients who had waited for treatment for more than a year.

Mr. Dorrelll
During the election campaign the Labour party made a specific commitment that 100,000 patients would be taken off the waiting list. However, the Secretary of State refused to tell the Liberal Democrat spokesman when that pledge would be delivered. Will the Minister of State now tell the House when it will be delivered?

Ms Jowelll
It certainly will not be delivered this Thursday, when the last quarter's figures for waiting lists under the previous Government will show increased lists and an increased number of patients waiting for more than one year. The Conservative Government, who have only recently left office, broke every promise that they made to patients about waiting lists. We shall make promises to patients about waiting lists and we shall keep them.

§ Mr. Wigley
I welcome the commitment given by the Minister and by the Secretary of State to improve the position for cancer sufferers, but is the hon. Lady aware that some hospitals—such as the district general hospital which serves my area—have capital sums available for improving cancer facilities which are not being brought on stream due to lack of revenue to ensure that the facilities can be fully operated? In deciding priorities, will the Minister ensure that opportunities of the sort that I have mentioned are taken up fully so that those waiting for cancer services are not denied them?

Ms Jowelll
Our pledge to patients waiting for cancer treatment was made absolutely clear. I am sure that I or my colleagues would be happy to talk to the hon. Gentleman about specific circumstances in his constituency. Our determination is to ensure that wherever a patient with a diagnosis of cancer lives, the treatment that they receive is of the highest possible standard. We are in support of the Calman/Hine proposals, which are being introduced throughout the country. They provide a measure against which to judge quality of treatment and early diagnosis, which are so important in securing long-term survival and, wherever possible, recovery from cancer.