§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health which trusts have achieved(a) the six month, (b) the 12 month and (c) the 15 month in-patient waiting targets. [15063]
§ Mr. HuttonThe NHS Plan, published in July 2000, sets out our plans to reduce maximum in-patient waiting times from 18 months now to 15 months by March 2002. Maximum in-patient waiting times will continue to fall to six months by March 2005.
The trusts with no in-patients waiting over six, 12 and 15 months at 30 September 2001 are given in the tables, copies of which are in the Library.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in(a) rank and (b) alphabetical order of NHS trust in London region, the (i) proportion and (ii) number of patients waiting (A) over 12 months and (B) over 18 months or more for in-patient treatment (1) at the latest available date, (2) in March 1997 and (3) in June 1997. [15286]
§ Mr. HuttonSince the start of the waiting list initiative in 1998 London has made very significant progress. In-patient waiting lists have fallen by a quarter from 216,000 to 159,000. This marks the largest reduction in the country.
Furthermore, since March 1998 the number of patients in London waiting over 12 months for treatment has reduced by nearly half from 17,500 to 9,500 and, before the end of March 2002 no patient should be waiting over 15 months for treatment.
The information requested has been placed in the Library.