NHS scores success in cutting waiting times

The number of patients waiting more than six months for hospital treatment on the NHS has almost halved in two years, the Department of Health said yesterday.

The number of patients waiting more than six months for hospital treatment on the NHS has almost halved in two years, the Department of Health said yesterday.

The speed of the fall has astonished observers and suggests the Government could achieve one of its key election pledges - to have no patient waiting more than six months by the end of 2005 - ahead of time.

In January 2004, there were 141,120 patients waiting over six months, down from 250,000 in January 2002, a 44 per cent cut.

The six-month target was one of the most important set in the NHS Plan published in July 2000 and its achievement would provide concrete evidence that the Government's huge investment in the NHS is paying off.

The size of the fall is remarkable because the number of patients waiting more than six months stayed constant throughout 2001-2, at around the 250,000 mark. It did not start to fall until the summer of 2002.

Since 1997, the NHS has taken on 237,700 extra staff, an 18 per cent increase to 1.3 million. John Reid, the Health Secretary said 84 per cent were directly involved in patient care while 3 per cent were managers or senior managers.