Website of the Department of Health

NHS inpatient and outpatient waiting times figures, 30 September 2008

The latest monthly national statistics on NHS inpatient and outpatient waiting times produced by the Department of Health were released on 31 October 2008 according to the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority.

NHS inpatient and outpatient waiting times figures for the month ending 30 September 2008 include data for England, Strategic Health Authorities, and NHS Trusts.

The key points from the latest release are:

Inpatient waiting times

• The number of patients, for whom English commissioners are responsible, waiting over the 26 weeks standard for inpatient admission at the end of September 2008 was 60 (compared to the total of 557,000).
• The number of patients, for whom English commissioners are responsible, waiting over 13 weeks at the end of September 2008 was 42,900, an increase of 2,200 (5.3%) from August 2008, but a fall of 29,800 (41.0%) from September 2007.

Outpatient waiting times

• The number of patients, for whom English commissioners are responsible, waiting over the 13 weeks standard for a first outpatient appointment following GP referral at the end of September 2008 was 259 (compared to the total of 876,000). Of these 259, 91 were English residents waiting for appointments in Welsh hospitals.
• The number of patients, for whom English commissioners are responsible, waiting over 8 weeks at the end of September 2008 was 48,800, a decrease of 900 (1.7%) from August 2008, and a fall of 6,600 (11.9%) from September 2007.
  

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