Subject: DOH:NHS WAITING LIST FIGURES TO 31 MARCH 2004 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH 2004/0176 7 May 2004 NHS WAITING LIST FIGURES TO 31 MARCH 2004 STATISTICAL PRESS NOTICE: Prepared by the Government Statistical Service Main Points This Month Waiting times The number of patients, for whom English commissioners are responsible, waiting over 9 months at the end of March 2004 was 48; a decrease of 19,000 since February 2004, and 53,000 (99.9%) lower than March 2003. At the end of March 2004, a total of 16 patients, for whom English commissioners are responsible, were waiting over 12 months. Waiting lists The total number of patients waiting to be admitted to NHS hospitals in England at the end of March 2004 was 905,600; a fall of 35,600 (3.8%) since the end of February 2004, and a fall of 86,500 (8.7%) since March 2003. Waiting Times Table 1: Waiting list by time band - March 2003 to March 2004, England (Commissioner based) Waiting time (months) 0 to 5 (000s) 6 to 8 9 to 11 12 to 15 to 18 All (000s) (000s) 14 17 plus patients (000s) 786.3 135.9 53.1 65 29 9 975.3 808.9 115.0 34.3 17 2 6 958.2 812.4 111.4 29.7 30 3 3 953.5 812.1 94.1 19.4 38 4 5 925.6 810.1 79.1 0.0 13 3 0 889.2 Table 1A: Patients waiting 9 months or more - March 2004, England (Commissioner based) 9 Plus 12 Plus 15 Plus Total 48 16 3 Of whom patients waiting at 34 12 0 English Trusts Table 2: Proportion of Waiting lists by time band - March 2003 to March 2004, England (Commissioner based) Proportion of Total Waiting List Waiting: Month 0 to 5 6 to 8 9 to11 12 to 14 15 plus Total months months months months months 31 March 2003 80.6% 13.9% 5.4% 0.0% 0.0% 100% 31 December 2003 84.4% 12.0% 3.6% 0.0% 0.0% 100% 31 January 2004 85.2% 11.7% 3.1% 0.0% 0.0% 100% 29 February 2004 87.7% 10.2% 2.1% 0.0% 0.0% 100% 31 March 2004 91.1% 8.9% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 100% *Note: Due to rounding figures for individual time bands may not always equal 100% Table 3: Waiting lists by time band - March 2003 to March 2004, England (hospital based) Waiting Time (months) Month 0 to 5 6 to 8 9 to 11 12 to 15 to 18 All (000s) (000s) (000s) 14 17 plus patients (000s) 31 March 2003 799.6 137.9 54.2 182 68 9 992.1 31 December 2003 821.5 116.4 34.8 323 62 6 973.1 31 January 2004 825.4 113.2 30.3 356 96 3 969.4 29 February 2004 825.2 95.7 19.8 402 121 5 941.2 31 March 2004 823.7 81.1 0.4 284 116 0 905.6 Table 4: Proportion of Waiting lists by time band - March 2003 to March 2004, England (hospital based) Proportion of Total Waiting List Waiting: Month 0 to 5 6 to 8 9 to 11 12 to 14 15 plus Total months months months months months 31 March 2003 80.6% 13.9% 5.5% 0.0% 0.0% 100% 31 December 2003 84.4% 12.0% 3.6% 0.0% 0.0% 100% 31 January 2004 85.2% 11.7% 3.1% 0.0% 0.0% 100% 29 February 2004 87.7% 10.2% 2.1% 0.0% 0.0% 100% 31 March 2004 91.0% 9.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 100% *Note: Due to rounding figures for individual time bands may not always equal 100% Waiting List Table 5: Monthly waiting lists - March 2003 to March 2004; England (hospital based) Month ending Number waiting Change since (000s) previous month Number (000s) Per cent 31 March 2003 992.1 -35.3 -3.4% 31 December 2003 973.1 14.2 1.5% 31 January 2004 969.4 -3.8 -0.4% 29 February 2004 941.2 -28.2 -2.9% 31 March 2004 905.6 -35.6 -3.8% Table 6: Waiting lists - March 2003 to March 2004; England (000s) Month Hospital based Commissioner based* 31 March 2003 992.1 975.3 31 December 2003 973.1 958.2 31 January 2004 969.4 953.5 29 February 2004 941.2 925.6 31 March 2004 905.6 889.2 * Please see explanatory note about commissioner data for 2002/03 Coronary Revascularisation Table 7: Number of CABG/PTCA- March 2003 to March 2004; England (commissioner based) ENGLAND CABG PTCA 9-11 12 months 9-11 12 months months plus months plus 31 March 2003 1 0 0 0 30 June 2003 0 0 0 0 30 September 2003 0 0 0 0 31 December 2003 0 0 0 0 31 March 2004 0 0 0 0 Statistical Notes 1. Inpatient waiting lists Waiting list information is collected from English Primary Care Trusts on a responsible population basis (see note on next page) and from NHS Trusts on a hospital basis. In interpreting the figures it should be noted that about half of patients (not including live babies) treated in hospitals are emergency cases and do not come from the waiting lists. This publication contains waiting list information on patients who are waiting to be admitted for treatment either as a day case or ordinary admission. It does not include: - patients admitted as emergency cases - outpatients - patients undergoing a planned programme of treatment e.g. a series of admissions for chemotherapy - expectant mothers booked for confinement - patients already in hospital but included on other waiting lists - patients who are temporarily suspended from waiting lists for social reasons or because they are known to be not medically ready for treatment Waiting times begin from the date the clinician decided to admit the patient. Patients subsequently offered a date but unable to attend have their waiting times calculated from the most recent date offered. These are known as self-deferred cases and are included in the total waiting. The tables include an element of estimation and incorporate all returns and amendments received from Primary Care Trusts and NHS Trusts up to 31 March 2004. 3. Hospital and Commissioner based lists There are fundamental differences in coverage between commissioner based and hospital based information. Commissioner based returns exclude all patients living outside England and all privately funded patients waiting for treatment in NHS hospitals. However they do include NHS funded patients, living in England, who are waiting for treatment in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, abroad, and at private hospitals; these patients are not included in the corresponding hospital based returns. Historically there has been a 1% to 3% difference in the overall size of the waiting lists reported for NHS hospital trusts and English residents, the trust-based figure being the larger. The differences are summarised in the diagram below: - NHS hospital trusts = NHS commissioners Patients waiting to be treated by NHS hospital trusts in England, commissioned by English PCTs and GPs - Patients from private hospitals and commissions from Scotland, Wales and NI waiting to be treated in English NHS hospital trusts = Patients waiting to be treated in private hospitals, and in NHS hospital trusts in Scotland, Wales and NI, funded by English NHS commissioners Commissioner based returns reflect responsible based populations, which is defined as: Responsible Population: - all those patients resident within the PCT boundary; plus - all patients registered with GPs who are members of the PCT, but are resident in another PCT; minus - All patients resident in the PCT, but registered with a GP who is a member of another PCT 4. June 2002 Commissioner data Up until March 2002 commissioner based data was collected from health authorities. June 2002 was the first time that commissioner based data was collected from PCTs. 5. Revisions Department of Health policy is to publish revised figures with subsequent statistical releases unless it is decided that the magnitude of the change merits earlier notification. Additional Information Full details of waiting lists and times for individual health authorities and trusts are available from the address below. 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