§ Mr. SpellerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce waiting lists for operations; and how long is the average delay for non-life endangered surgical operations in north Devon.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyAt 31 March 1990, the latest date for which information on hospital waiting lists is held centrally, the median waiting time for patients who have been treated in the surgical specialties, excluding emergencies, in north Devon was 2.8 weeks.
It is the time patients wait for treatment which is important, not total numbers on the lists. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 16 January, we are continuing the special waiting list fund in 1991–92 with a further £35 million to help health authorities reduce the number of patients who wait excessively. This brings to £154 million the Government's investment in the fund over five years. South Western region has received £6.8 million from the waiting list fund over the period 1987 to 1991. The attack on waiting times is a key priority for the NHS in 1991–92 and the NHS management executive is agreeing tough targets with all 14 regional health authorities for substantial reductions in the number of patients who wait over a year for treatment.