NHS waiting lists down by a third
NHS waiting lists have fallen by a third in six years, according to NHS chief executive Sir Nigel Crisp.
But, the Liberal Democrats have also issued a new report on the health service drawing attention to what they claim are unacceptable “hidden waits”.
Delivering his annual report on the health service, Sir Nigel said there was “sustained improvement” across the NHS, and there were falls in the number of premature deaths and increasing patient satisfaction rates.
According the report, there has been a 12 per cent reduction in the number of patients on the waiting lists in the last year (35 per cent down since 1999), waiting times are down and delayed discharges from hospitals are down a third on last year.
Sir Nigel also pointed to a 12 per cent fall in cancer death rates since 1998 and a 27 per cent fall in coronary heart death rates between 1995 and 2003.
He said: “In the summer, I said that if the NHS was a business, our share price would be rising. At the end of 2004 I have not changed my mind because we are hitting our key targets and our surveys show that patient satisfaction levels are very high.
“Extra investment and the reforms we have implemented are paying real dividends. We are making fantastic progress at reducing waiting times for treatment, both in primary and secondary care.
“We are also putting a greater focus on health promotion and health improvement and beginning to act as a service for health, rather than simply a sickness service. This is helping a record number of people quit smoking for example.”
Health Secretary John Reid said he wished to congratulate NHS staff for their “magnificent effort during 2004” and stressed: “In no way are we complacent about what we still need to do. In 2005 I want the NHS to sustain this performance and also to begin targeting other areas where people are waiting for treatment, for example during the diagnostic stage of the patient journey through the NHS.”
However, the Liberal Democrat report – ‘The Hidden Waiting List’ – claims that patients are having to wait unacceptably long times for diagnosis.
It claims that patients are waiting six months or more in two out of five NHS trusts for routine MRI scans (used to detect brain tumours, cancers and serious heart conditions) and one in twelve trusts have waiting lists for MRI scans of over one year.
Ageing equipment and recruitment problems are highlighted as the key causes of delays.
Health spokesman Paul Burstow said: “These figures show that Labour is being too quick to trumpet shorter waiting times. The true picture remains that thousands of people are suffering the stress and anxiety of unacceptable waits for important scans and tests.
“Despite its meddling and target-setting, the Government does not even know how many patients are waiting for diagnostic tests, or for how long. This is keeping patients and the public in the dark and postponing the action needed to cut waiting times. This country deserves an NHS fit for the 21st Century not one held back by ageing equipment and recruitment black holes.”
