STATISTICAL PRESS NOTICE - NHS inpatient and outpatient waiting times figures - 31 July 2009

The following statistics were released today by the Department of Health:

NHS inpatient and outpatient waiting times figures, 31 July 2009

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 July 2009 was 25 (compared to the total of 590,000).

• The number of patients, for whom English commissioners are responsible, waiting over 13 weeks at the end of July 2009 was 43,000, a decrease of 1,900 (4.3%) from June 2009, but a rise of 3,500 (8.9%) from July 2008.

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 July 2009 was 62 (compared to the total of 1,032,000).

• The number of patients, for whom English commissioners are responsible, waiting over 8 weeks at the end of July 2009 was 62,000, an increase of 8,500 (15.8%) from June 2009, and a rise of 26,900 (76.7%) from July 2008.

Full release available here (see word doc attachment)

Additional tables are available
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Statistics/Performancedataandstatistics/HospitalWaitingTimesandListStatistics/index.htm

NHS inpatient and outpatient waiting activity occurring during the quarter ending 30 June 2009

The key points from the latest release are:

Inpatient Events

• The number of decisions to admit has increased by 75,000 (6.4%) since the equivalent quarter last year. Similarly, the number of elective admissions from the list has increased by 48,000 (4.6%) since the equivalent quarter last year.

Outpatient Referrals and attendances

• First attendances at consultant outpatient clinics have increased by 285,000 (7.8%) to 3.9 million and total attendances increased by 631,000 (5.5%) to 12.1 million compared to the equivalent quarter of 2008/09.

• Did not attend (DNA) rates have decreased this quarter compared to the equivalent quarter of 2008/09. This quarter, the percentage of patients who did not attend for their first outpatient attendance is 8.5% a fall of 0.1% against the equivalent quarter of 2008/09.

• The number of GP referrals made has increased by 160,000 (6.0%) against the same period last year. The number of other referrals made has increased by 93,000 (6.3%) against Q1 2008/09.

Full tables are available here
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Statistics/Performancedataandstatistics/HospitalActivityStatistics/index.htm