HC Deb 20 January 1993 vol 217 c315W
Ms. Jowell

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were awaiting treatment on one year waiting lists in each specialty in December 1992; and what were the equivalent figures for April 1992.

Mr. Sackville

Waiting time information by specialty is published twice a year for 31 March and 30 September. The most recent figures, for 31 March 1992, are given in "Hospital Waiting List, In-Patients and Day Cases" (ISBN 1 85839 003 6)—a copy of which is available in the Library.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will make it her policy that details of the number of patients waiting for a first out-patient appointment should be collected centrally;

(2) if she will take action to establish standards for the maximum wait for a first out-patient appointment.

Mr. Sackville

With over 36 million outpatient attendances each year it is not currently practical to collect information about the numbers of people waiting for out-patient appointments centrally. However, under the patients charter health authorities are required to publish information on the local standards they have set for first out-patient appointments and on performance against these targets. Regional health authorities are required to set targets for 1993–94 to build on this progress.