§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average length of waiting times for angiography were in each of the last six years. [147269]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe average length of waiting times for angiography for the last six years are shown in the table.
Mean waiting time for angiography (days) Angiograms (finished consultant episodes) 1997–98 96.6 82,408 1998–99 98,7 94,631 1999–2000 90.7 99,170 2000–01 98.4 108,739 2001–02 97.8 113,847 2002–03 104.1 124,353 The Government set explicit targets for reductions in angiography waiting times for the first time ever last year and no one will wait more than nine months by March 2004.
£65 million from the New Opportunities Fund and £60 million from the Department of Health is being invested to enable the rapid expansion of facilities for angiography, to fund more than 89 new or replacement catheterisation laboratories. This will help meet the target of a six-month maximum wait by the end of 2005.