§ 14. Mr. Mark RobinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in reducing the time patients have to wait for hospital and out-patient treatment. [27994]
§ Mr. HoramExcellent progress has been made in reducing waiting times for all aspects of national health service treatment. At 31 March 1996 fewer than 4,400 patients had been waiting more than a year for inpatient or day case treatment. This is a significant improvement on the position only a year ago when there were more than 32,000 12-month waiters. Also for the first time no 18-month in-patient waits have been reported. For out-patients the latest available figures show that 97 per cent. of patients were seen within 26 weeks of referral and 83 per cent. seen within 13 weeks.
§ 27. Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current normal waiting time for a specialist consultation for a non-urgent illness. [28007]
§ Mr. HoramWaiting times for out-patient appointments vary between trusts and between specialties.
The patients charter requires that all patients should be seen for their first out-patient appointment with a consultant within 26 weeks of a written referral from a general practitioner, with nine out of 10 seen within 13 weeks.
Of the 1,904,000 patients seen during the quarter ended 31 December 1995, 83 per cent. waited under 13 weeks and 97 per cent. under 26 weeks.
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