§ 23. Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he takes to review the operation of the NHS and Community Care Act 1990. [18407]
§ Mr. MaloneI am satisfied that the reforms introduced by the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 are operating effectively. NHS performance continues to improve. Since 1990, the average waiting time has been halved from eight months to just under four months. Patient activity has grown by around 5 per cent. each year since the reforms, significantly greater than before.