§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what progress he is making in tackling waiting lists for cataract operations for elderly persons in the Wrexham Maelor Hospital Trust area; and if he will make a statement. [57444]
Mr. Jon Owen JonesThe number of people waiting for ophthalmic surgery at Wrexham Maelor NHS Trust, which is largely cataract operations, has fallen from 1,496 in June 1998 to 1,307 in September 1998, a drop of 13 per cent.
North Wales Health Authority has agreed with the Trust that, by the year 2000, all patients requiring cataract surgery will be treated within 3 months.