§ Ms. JowellTo 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. SackvilleWaiting 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. RedmondTo 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. SackvilleWith 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.