§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list each month since March 1997 when in-patient waiting lists in the mid Essex hospital trust area have been lower than in March 1997. [29777]
§ Mr. HuttonThe number of patients waiting at mid Essex hospital services NHS trust increased from 5,835 in March 1996 to 8,391 at the quarter ending March 1997. The waiting list has been higher than this each quarter or month since that period. At the end of November 2001, (the most recent data available) the number of patients on the waiting list was 8,787. This is 396 greater than March 1997 but 3,047 lower than the highest peak in the waiting list at June 1998.
§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects in-patient waiting lists in the mid Essex hospital trust area to fall below the level of March 1997. [29778]
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§ Mr. HuttonMid Essex hospital services national health service trust achieved its waiting list targets for 2000–01 and is well on target to achieve its targets for the end of March 2002.
The trust has been following Government guidelines to reduce the length of wait of those on the waiting list and has robust delivery plans in place to treat patients waiting over 15 months by the end of March 2002.