Hospital Waiting Lists

HC Deb 07 December 1988 vol 143 cc163-4W

Mr. Geraint Howells

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what progress he is making in reducing hospital waiting lists in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Grist

Responsibility for the management of waiting lists in Wales rests with district health authorities within their allocated financial resources which (in terms of recurrent revenue provision and after taking account of inflation) have risen by 34 per cent. in the period 1978–79 to 1988–89. As part of the Department's efforts to reduce waiting times, £1 million of additional moneys have been made available to health authorities in each financial year from 1986–87 to 1988–89 to tackle specific problem lists. In 1988–89 this extra help should generate an estimated additional throughput of 10,300 new out-patients and 1,400 in-patients.

The Welsh Office is keeping the activities of DHAs under close scrutiny. In addition to the annual reviews of health authorities' performance, which include their efforts to tackle waiting lists, officials have recently completed a round of meetings with all authorities to discuss their plans for reducing waiting times.

At March 1988 72 per cent. of urgent in-patient waiting lists 61 per cent. of non-urgent in-patient waiting lists and 46 per cent. of out-patient waiting lists were within the waiting times targets. I am none the less concerned that many patients have to wait over-long for treatment, and the drive to reduce waiting times will continue.