HL Deb 23 January 1992 vol 534 cc29-30WA
Lord Molloy

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps they will take to reduce waiting times for patients needing surgery, in view of a survey reported in the Independent on 13th January which suggests that some waiting times have increased.

Baroness Hooper

Overall, waiting times continue to fall. The most recent figures show that in the eight months to November 1991 the number of patients waiting over two years has reduced by a third (17,000 cases) and the number waiting between one and two years by 11 per cent. (13,000 cases). Over the same period there was a marginal increase of 1.5 per cent. (12,000 cases) in the number of patients waiting under one year. This is less than 0.5 per cent. of the number of patients the NHS treats each year and should easily be accommodated within the 4.6 per cent. real terms resource increase planned for next year.