§ 57. Mr. OrmeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce the length of hospital waiting lists in England and Wales.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyI refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Mr. King) on 18 January at columns403–4. The information for Wales is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
§ 89. Mr. DevlinTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made in reducing patient waiting lists in the northern region.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyWaiting lists in the northern region have fallen from 47,000 in 1979 to 36,800 in March 1989, a fall of just under 22 per cent.
Next year northern region has been allocated £1.45 million from the waiting list fund. This is in addition to the £5.362 million in the three years to March 1990, which has been used to treat an additional 16,000 in-patients and day cases and 48,000 additional out-patients.
A management team led by John Yates of Inter-Authority Comparisons and Consultancy is examining waiting lists in three northern districts (Newcastle, Durham and East Cumbria). If the team recommends additional funding, allocations will be made in 1990–91 from the £12 million reserved for problem waiting lists.
In addition, we have approved and funded five new consultant posts in northern region from the 100 new consultant posts targeted at districts with long waiting lists.