HC Deb 30 April 2002 vol 384 cc759-60W
Dr. Fox

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were waiting over six months on the in-patient waiting list in(a) each quarter since March 1997 and (b) each month since January 2001. [47855]

Mr. Hutton

The data requested are shown in the table. Table 1 provides quarterly statistics from March 1997 onwards and table 2 provides monthly statistics from January 2001 onwards.

Table 1: Quarterly Statistics—Number of patients on the in-patient waiting list waiting over six months on the last day of the period: England (health authority based)
Year Quarter six months +
1996–97 4 290,000
1997–98 1 318,000
1997–98 2 338,000
1997–98 3 368,000
1997–98 4 382,000
1998–99 1 382,000
1998–99 2 348,000
1998–99 3 316,000
1998–99 4 280,000
1999–2000 1 279,000
1999–2000 2 281,000
1999–2000 3 285,000
1999–2000 4 268,000
2000–01 1 273,000
2000–01 2 275,000
2000–01 3 267,000
2000–01 4 246,000
2001–02 1 267,000
2001–02 2 277,000
2001–02 3 259,000

Source:

DH QF01 return

Table 2: Monthly statistics—Number of patients on the in-patient waiting list waiting over six months at the end of the period: England (health authority based)
Month Year Six months +
January 2000–01 266,000
February 2000–01 255,000
March 2000–01 246,000
April 2001–02 259,000
May 2001–02 271,000
June 2001–02 267,000
July 2001–02 268,000
August 2001–02 274,000
September 2001–02 277,000
October 2001–02 262,000
November 2001–02 247,000
December 2001–02 259,000
January 2001–02 260,000
February 2001–02 246,000

Source:

DH monthly waiting list returns.