§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason the average length of hospital waiting lists for the period May 1997 to September 2000 in Mid-Essex were different from the length of waiting lists on 31 March 1997. [143114]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 20 December 2000]: Across the National Health Service in England there has been a significant reduction in waiting lists—in October 2000, there were approximately 133,000 fewer patients waiting than in March 1997 and 54,600 fewer than waiting in October 1999.
Mid-Essex Hospital Services National Health Service Trust has experienced significant and sustained pressures in relation to waiting lists and emergency care and it is recognised that the trust's performance on waiting lists has been below average. Action has been and continues to be 442W taken to address these pressures, including the introduction of a waiting list policy, the introduction of a clinical management structure and the appointment of a number of new members of the executive management team. The waiting list at the end of October was 21 per cent. below its peak in 1998, and work continues to improve this position still further.