At the end of February 2007, 1.8 per cent. of patients waiting for a first out-patient appointment had been waiting longer than 11 weeks; 5.5 per cent. of patients waiting for an in-patient admission had been waiting longer than 20 weeks; and 19.3 per cent. of patients waiting for one of the 15 key diagnostic tests on which monthly data are collected had been waiting more than 13 weeks.
Of the over-13-week diagnostic waits, 62 per cent. were for audiology assessments. Plans to address this were published on 6 March in “Improving Access to Audiology Services in England”.
March 2007 in-patient and out-patient data will be published on 4 May 2007. March diagnostic data for the 15 key tests will be published on 16 May 2007. The March census of diagnostic waits, which covers other long wait tests, will be published in July.
The figures are shown in the table.
Month end March: Total number waiting Number waiting over 13 weeks (3 months) Number waiting over 26 weeks (6 months) Number waiting over 9 months Number waiting over 12 months 1994 837,907 439,537 244,479 124,133 52,520 1995 762,180 366,430 182,595 79,022 25,571 1996 1,017,304 458,760 203,235 68,263 3,602 1997 1,131,201 570,237 283,866 118,915 30,245 1998 1,276,965 682,512 377,164 185,102 67,177 1999 1,060,356 524,312 276,752 131,242 46,752 2000 1,024,654 507,104 264,370 126,388 48,145 2001 995,123 480,347 242,953 113,143 41,461 2002 1,021,604 497,015 238,091 96,628 21,869 2003 975,338 443,000 189,054 53,183 103 2004 890,205 323,510 80,125 223 67 2005 808,810 259,250 40,843 78 29 2006 771,123 190,956 222 35 15 February 2007 725,928 166,581 378 n/a n/a Notes: Data from April 2006 collected in weekly timebands with 13 weeks corresponding to 3 months and 26 weeks corresponding to 6 months. Data no longer collected on the numbers waiting over 9 or 12 months. Source: Department of Health QF01 and Monthly Monitoring
The figures are shown in the table.
It should be noted that Korner data measures the numbers still waiting at the end of a period, while Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) measures the time waited for patients admitted during a year. HES figures do not take into account periods of suspension for medical and social reasons.
The table shows that 90 per cent. of patients admitted during the financial year 2005-06 had waited under six months. The six-month standard was in place from the end of December 2005, and therefore the HES figures for 2005-06 only reflect only one quarter where the standard was in place.
Percentage of waits under 6 months, 1990 to 2007—Official waiting times data (Korner)—Hospital Episode StatisticsMonth end:Percentage on list who were waiting under 6 monthsFinancial yearPercentage of patients treated in under 6 months19901581989-90n/a19911611990-918619921701991-928419931721992-9385 1994711993-94851995761994-95841996801995-96851997751996-97861998701997-98851999741998-99822000741999-2000852001762000-01842002772001-02832003812002-03822004912003-04822005952004-058720061002005-0690February 200721002006-07n/a 1 All Korner figures from 1994 onwards are commissioner based. All HES figures are provider based.2 From April 2006, data collected in weeks, and therefore figures for February 2007 reflect waits under 26 weeks.Source:Department of Health, QF01, KH07 returns Hospital Episode Statistics, The Information Centre for health and social care.