NHS Waiting Lists

HC Deb 10 December 1998 vol 322 c284W

Mr. Barry Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on NHS waiting lists in Wales. [62696]

Mr. Jon Owen Jones

I am pleased to announce that the inpatient waiting list has fallen for 2 consecutive months and currently stands at 73,037—the lowest figure since February 1998. The numbers waiting over 12 months and over 18 months have also fallen, by 309 and 86 respectively.

Outpatient lists to end-October also fell, by 1.6 per cent. to 133,210, the first fall in outpatient lists since January 1998. Although the number waiting over 6 months for an appointment rose by 487, this was a smaller increase than the 1,535 reported in September.