To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets he has set for reducing waiting times between a patient being placed on a consultant’s list and the operation taking place; and what his policy is on these matters. (175276)

[holding answer 18 December 2007]: The operational standard in place for the national health service is a maximum wait of 26 weeks for an operation from the time the decision to admit was made.

By December 2008, patients can expect to wait a maximum of 18 weeks from the time they are referred to a consultant to the start of their treatment, unless it is clinically appropriate for them to wait longer or they choose to do so. This includes time spent waiting for out-patient appointments and diagnostic tests as well as for any operation or other treatment if appropriate.