§ 19. Mr. FlightTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the numbers of patients who will have been waiting for more than 12 months for treatment in May 1998. [18248]
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§ Mr. MilburnThe substantial extra resources we have made available for the NHS for this year and next should enable us to make a start on restraining the growth in waiting lists and times we inherited from the previous administration. The programme of action announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 18 November will ensure we have shorter waiting lists and times by the end of the present Parliament. For the short term our priority is to eliminate 18 month waits for admission to hospital by 31 March 1988.
§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his plans to reduce hospital waiting lists. [18241]
§ Mr. MilburnOn 18 November my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced a wide-ranging programme of action for reducing waiting lists.
We are determined that waiting lists will be shorter by the end of this Parliament.