§ Mr. EvansTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been waiting (1) over six months for an appointment in hospitals within Lancashire; [7699]
(2) over 12 months for an operation in hospitals within the north-west. [7746]
§ Mr. HuttonAt the end of August 2001, 1,076 patients had been waiting more than 26 weeks for an out-patient appointment after being referred by a general practitioner to a hospital trust in Lancashire. This represents a 41.3 per cent. reduction compared with August 2000. Plans are in place to eliminate all over 26-week waits by the end of March 2002.
The number of patients waiting more than 12 months for in-patient or day case treatment in the north-west, at the end of August, was 6,369. This is 20 per cent. fewer than the previous August figure.