§ 21. Mr. LoydenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce hospital waiting lists.
§ Mr. MellorThe reforms in our White Paper "Working for Patients" (Cm. 555) will provide a better service for patients, including shorter waiting times.
We shall create 100 additional consultant posts over the next three years, above planned expansion levels, targeted at the worst waiting problems. We shall give hospitals, for the first time, a real incentive to treat patients quickly and efficiently by paying them for the work they actually do. There will also be better waiting times information for GPs to enable them to refer patients more easily to where waiting times are shortest. In addition, some GP practices will manage their own budgets, so as to get the best possible deal for their patients.
We have also made £86 million available from the waiting list fund over three years to tackle the worst waiting problems.
§ 25. Mr. FavellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps patients will be able to take to reduce waiting times for treatment following implementation of his proposals contained in the White Paper "Working for Patients".
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe White Paper proposes that some family doctors should have the freedom to manage
Number of notifications of abortions carried out under the Abortion Act 1967 to residents and non-residents of England and Wales by statutory grounds (mentioned) 1981–87. These figures represent the number of times each of the statutory grounds reported (mentioned) rather than the number of operations. Statutory grounds1 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 All grounds 182,090 180,182 179,310 186,618 187,390 187,433 190,692 1 790 674 549 596 534 488 480 2 158,520 159,418 158,389 165,996 168,113 168,732 170,860 3 20,713 17,796 18,098 17,757 16,687 16,176 17,404 4 2,053 2,282 2,268 2,252 2,040 2,031 1,941 5 5 7 3 9 5 2 3 6 9 5 3 8 11 4 4 1 The statutory grounds under which an abortion may be performed are that:
598W
- 1. the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk to the life of the pregnant woman greater than if the pregnancy were terminated.
- 2. the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman greater than if the pregnancy were terminated.
- 3. the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk or injury to the physical or mental health of any existing child (ren) in the family of the pregnant woman greater than if the pregnancy were terminated.
their own budgets for hospital services, so as to get the best possible deal for their patients. Better information will be available to all GPs and patients about hospital services, including waiting times. Hospitals will have a real incentive to treat patients quickly and efficiently because they will be paid for the work they do. The White Paper also proposes that it should be easier for patients to change their doctor if they wish to do so.
As a result, the NHS as a whole will become much more responsive to the individual patient. Patients will be able to discuss real choices with their GPs, and both will be able to act effectively in the best interest of the patient.
§ Mr. HayesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to cut waiting lists through the more efficient use of cross-boundary flows.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe reforms in our White Paper "Working for Patients" (Cm. 555) will end the present arrangements which provide little incentive for health authorities to treat patients from outside their boundaries. In future, hospitals will be free to offer their services to different health authorities and will receive NHS funds for the patients they treat. For the first time, hospitals will have real incentives to treat patients quickly and efficiently regardless of where they live. and patients will be able to go to hospitals where waiting times are shortest.