Nearly half of all patients are currently being treated within 18 weeks, a year and a half ahead of schedule, according to official figures produced by the Department of Health.
The statistics show that of those patients who started their treatment in March 2007, 48% waited no more than 18 weeks following the initial referral by their GP - an improvement on snapshot figures released in December 2006 which showed that 35% of patients received treatment within 18 weeks. For general medicine, 70% of patients are seen within 18 weeks and for gastroenterology 76% are seen within 18 weeks.within 18 weeks.
"This information is not just for Trusts to act on. The data shows that there are particular challenges in orthopaedics, which is why we have bought forward plans to give patients free choice of any hospital in the country for their operation," Health Minister Andy Burnham said.
