§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his initiative to reduce hospital waiting lists.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyIt is the time patients wait for treatment which is important, not total numbers on the list. I am pleased to inform the hon. Member that about half of all national health service in-patients are admitted 317W immediately and that of the remainder, half are admitted within five weeks. The problem of excessive waiting times is therefore concentrated on a minority of national health service patients. We are continuing the special waiting list fund in 1991–92 with a further £35 million to tackle this problem. Regions will match their allocations pound for pound bringing to £60 million the amount which will be available to reduce the number of patients who wait excessively long. £9 million from the fund has been earmarked for 80 of the worst lists in the country, which are to be investigated by a team from Qa Business Services.
The National Health Service management executive is agreeing targets with all 14 regional health authorities for substantial reductions in the numbers of long waiters by March 1992.