Average NHS waits rise under Labour

Average NHS waits rise under Labour

Average hospital waiting times have risen under Labour, figures suggest.

NHS data reveals that in 1997-98 median average waits stood at 41 days, but by last year had risen to 49 days.

This is despite the fact that before Labour came to power waits of more than 18 weeks were not uncommon, but now no one waits longer than six months in England.

The figures obtained by the BBC from the NHS Information Centre show that for some cancers average waiting has increased slightly, while big falls have been seen in more minor conditions such as cataract operations and treatment for dermatitis and eczema.

Jonathan Fielding, chairman of the British Medical Association's Consultants Committee, said: "All that has happened is that the government has put an end to the really long waits and the really short waits. Doctors have been stopped from using their clinical judgement and pushing people through the system when they need to be."

However, health minister Ben Bradshaw said tackling long waits leads to a short-term increase in the average wait as the backlog is cleared.

Health Insurance and Protection - 29 February 2008