§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on waiting lists in the North East Thames regional health authority broken down by area; and what proposals there are to reduce the waiting lists.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe information for each district in the region is given in the table. It is waiting time that matters and numbers of long wait patients continue to fall in North East Thames. Since March 1991, provisional figures show that the number waiting over one year in the region has fallen by 11 per cent. to 16,836 and the number waiting over two years has fallen by 16 per cent. to 5,586. North East Thames regional health authority have plans that, by March 1992, there will be no patients waiting over two years and no more than 10,800 waiting over one year for in-patient and day case treatment.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleySupport from national health service funds was as follows: 445W
1989–90 £ 1990–91 £ 1991–92 £ From local health authorities 40,000 50,765 55,000 From a central allocation for services for the terminally ill — 40,000 40,000 Total 40,000 90,765 95,000 Note: Arrangements for 1992–93 have yet to be decided.