00:00 So we get those new figures this morning but in the last set of figures,
00:03 waiting lists hit their highest level on record.
00:07 You've pledged to bring down those waiting lists, what's gone wrong?
00:10 So we've been bringing the longest waits down, so we made progress in terms of the
00:17 two-year waits last summer. We've also virtually eliminated the 18-month waits,
00:24 but there has been pressure through the industrial action in terms of the waiting lists overall.
00:29 But we're bringing the longest waits down, we're putting in additional capacity and that's why
00:33 we've opened 119 community diagnostic centres and making it easier for people to get those
00:39 tests and scans within their community. And we're also boosting our surgical capacity,
00:45 opening more surgical hubs as well. So we're putting in more capacity, we're bringing the
00:49 longest waits down, but also it has been challenging because of the backdrop of industrial action.
00:54 [BLANK_AUDIO]
Comments