§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what action is being taken to reduce the size of the under-one-year waiting list for the North East Thames regional health authority; and if she will make a statement;
(2) if she will publish the waiting list figures for the mid-Essex area for the year up to 31 March, showing the change in the lists for under one year, one to two years, over two years and total change in terms of numbers and as a percentage.
§ Mr. SackvilleInformation on waiting times in individual district health authorities for the year to 31 March 1992 is not yet available centrally. Provisional figures for England as a whole show that, in the year ended 31 March, the number of patients waiting over two years for admission fell by 97 per cent., and the number waiting between one and two years by 33 per cent., while the total number of patients waiting dropped by 3.5 per cent., or over 33,000. North East Thames region reduced the numbers waiting over two years and between one and two years by 89 per cent. and 29 per cent. respectively, while reducing the total number of patients waiting by 7 per cent. or over 5,500. The National Health Service management executive will be discussing targets for 1992–93 with North East Thames, as with all the other regions, including how they intend to use their share of this year's £39 million waiting time fund to further increase the numbers of patients treated from waiting lists. These discussions will also cover the regions' plans for tackling their under-one-year waiting lists.