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Southampton’s MPs John Denham and Alan Whitehead congratulate hospital staff on shortest hospital waits ever
The NHS now has the shortest waits since its records began, Labour Health Secretary Alan Johnson announced today.
New data shows that in Southampton and across England the NHS has met its target to treat patients within a maximum of 18 weeks from referral by their GP – an achievement which was unimaginable 12 years ago.
Alan Whitehead, the Labour MP for Southampton Test, said:
“This is a tremendous achievement by NHS clinicians and staff in Southampton who should be proud of the difference their hard work has made to the experience of every NHS patient.
“Achieving the shortest waits since NHS records began has made a huge difference to patients’ experiences of the NHS. In the 1990s it was not uncommon for people to wait 18 months or more for their operation – with some people dying on the waiting list.”
John Denham, the Labour MP for Southampton Itchen, added:
“The NHS is one of our country’s greatest achievements and I will always value and stand up for it. I’m proud that over Labour’s years in government, we have made sure the NHS has the staff it needs and have backed them to deliver improvements in standards and driving down waits. Today’s news is further evidence that this investment has worked.
“In March 1998, nearly 22,000 people in the South Central Strategic Health Authority area had to wait over six months for in-patient treatment. Today, nobody has to wait longer than 18 weeks.”
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