The NHS is celebrating the shortest waits since its records began, Health Secretary Alan Johnson recently announced – with the average wait for treatment for admitted patients now just 8.6 weeks.
For example, the DH reported that the average referral to treatment times for patients requiring heart treatment has been reduced by half, from 14 weeks in March 2007 to seven weeks in January 2009. Health Secretary Alan Johnson said: “Twelve years ago it was not uncommon for patients to have to wait well over 18 months for an operation. Achieving the shortest waits since NHS records began is a tremendous achievement for staff and I congratulate them for all their hard work. Meeting the standard nationally, five months before it came into effect, shows the commitment of the whole health service to improving patients’ experiences.”
