I am very conscious of the importance of reducing waiting times in all specialties as much as possible. It is, of course, open to each consultant to review his or her waiting lists and to treat individual patients sooner, in light of changing clinical priorities.
I have recently taken a range of significant initiatives to address the issue of waiting lists and waiting times for public in-patients. These include the provision of £20 million for the treatment of patients on waiting lists. This represents an increase of two-thirds over the 1998 figure and is 2.5 times higher than the amount allocated by the previous Government for waiting lists in 1997; the provision of £9 million to services for older people. This will help to free up acute hospital beds, some of which are occupied at present by patients who cannot be accommodated in sub-acute or rehabilitation facilities; the provision of £2 million to selected accident and emergency services. This will again ensure that acute facilities are more easily available for elective work, including treatments for those on waiting lists; and the issuing of a new policy circular and guidelines to all relevant agencies regarding the way in which the waiting list initiative should be operated in future.