Lansley blames snow for NHS waiting times!


4:58 pm - April 26th 2011

by Sunny Hundal    


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This is just staggering.

Last week we highlighted how the report from King’s Fund last week showed rising NHS waiting times.

Today Health Secretary Andrew Lansley was asked about those rising figures.

He said:

Waiting times in the NHS are stable. For patients who are admitted to the NHS, an average of nine weeks’ waiting time. For patients who are outpatients, three and a half weeks. I think people in the NHS might reasonably say that to choose February 2011, in the immediate wake of a severe winter, with the largest snow outbreak since 1999 – with critical care beds being occupied meaning that patients for elective operations could not be admitted – was not a fair comparison to be made.

Is there any other Tory front-bencher who is still left to blame the snow for their troubles?

The graph clearly shows that waiting times were rising before the month of February.

via the Guardian’s NHS Reforms blog.

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About the author
Sunny Hundal is editor of LC. Also: on Twitter, at Pickled Politics and Guardian CIF.
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Reader comments


1. Falco

Did the snow have any significant impact? Has either side provided any evidence at all?

2. Tim J

Hmm. I wonder, do cold temperatures put more of a strain on the health service?

During the winter months, mortality in England and Wales reaches higher levels than during the summer months. A measure of this increase is provided, on an annual basis, in the form of the excess winter mortality figure. This figure is a simple way to assess mortality levels over the winter as a whole.

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=10805

I see. And was this winter unusual in any way?

the coldest December across the UK since the national series began in 1910

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/archive/2011/cold-dec

I wonder if there could possibly be a connection?

3. Tim Fenton

@2, all the indicators on that graph have shown a rising trend since June, a month not known for its wintry conditions.

So that’s more tribal claptrap from you, then. Must try harder.

4. Tim J

3 – point out the error in what I wrote. Winters cause more strain on the health service. Last winter was particularly harsh. That’s a pretty uncontroversial point I’d have thought. What do you attribute the jumps in 18 weeks inpatients in December 2009 and 2008 to?

5. sally

But the tories said they did not believe in targets for the NHS. So they don’t give a shit if waiting lists rise. It is all part of their plan to sell it off.

Run it down, and then flog it off to their mates. Remember, brownshirts hate anything they can’t own.

6. Mr S. Pill

…and if we get a heatwave this summer (not unlikely) no doubt that will be blamed for any future increase in waiting times. The Tories really are the biggest bunch of piss-takers out there.

7. Jenny

I take it everyone’s seen this by now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl1jPqqTdNo

Enough said, no?

8. Martin Young

Don’t worry about waiting times. I was a a public meeting on the NHS where two local GP’s were highlighting the fact that patients are being bounced back to them. They refer to a centralised clearing house who then decide for the GP’s whether these patients really need the procedure, operation . Stopping and listening – don’t make me laugh, these changes are happening now, at a rapid pace. They will be employing loss adjusters next to see whether it’s really worth treating you – sorry whether your really worth treating.

9. Chopper Royal

…waiting times increase played out in the Tory media until,”KABOOM”, Private healthcare turns up at the last minute and says “We can save you all. Now bend over and open your cheque books.”


Reactions: Twitter, blogs
  1. Liberal Conspiracy

    Unbelievable: Lansley blames snow for rising NHS waiting times! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ

  2. neilrfoster

    RT @libcon: Unbelievable: Lansley blames snow for rising NHS waiting times! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ

  3. John H

    "But the /seasonally-adjusted/ waiting times…" RT @libcon: Lansley blames snow for rising NHS waiting times! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ

  4. Andy S

    RT @libcon: Unbelievable: Lansley blames snow for rising NHS waiting times! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ

  5. sunny hundal

    Anyone else waitint to use that excuse? RT @libcon: Lansley blames snow for rising NHS waiting times! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ

  6. MerseyMal

    RT @sunny_hundal: Anyone else waitint to use that excuse? RT @libcon: Lansley blames snow for rising NHS waiting times! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ

  7. DanielPoxton

    RT @sunny_hundal: Anyone else waitint to use that excuse? RT @libcon: Lansley blames snow for rising NHS waiting times! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ

  8. Patrick Osgood

    RT @libcon: Unbelievable: Lansley blames snow for rising NHS waiting times! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ

  9. Jonathan Ridge

    RT @libcon: Unbelievable: Lansley blames snow for rising NHS waiting times! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ

  10. Gary Dunion

    A masterclass in message discipline – now the Tories blame NHS waiting times on the snow too! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ

  11. Brian Moylan

    RT @sunny_hundal: Anyone else waitint to use that excuse? RT @libcon: Lansley blames snow for rising NHS waiting times! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ

  12. Martin

    RT @libcon: Unbelievable: Lansley blames snow for rising NHS waiting times! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ

  13. .

    RT @libcon: Unbelievable: Lansley blames snow for rising NHS waiting times! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ

  14. Ziggy Stardust

    RT @libcon: Unbelievable: Lansley blames snow for rising #NHS waiting times! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ

  15. jennifer roberts

    RT @sunny_hundal: Anyone else waitint to use that excuse? RT @libcon: Lansley blames snow for rising NHS waiting times! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ

  16. Mark Koszler

    RT @libcon: Unbelievable: Lansley blames snow for rising NHS waiting times! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ

  17. Adam Jennison

    RT @libcon: Unbelievable: Lansley blames snow for rising NHS waiting times! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ

  18. jennifer roberts

    RT @libcon: Unbelievable: Lansley blames snow for rising NHS waiting times! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ

  19. Peter Eggison

    RT @libcon: Unbelievable: Lansley blames snow for rising NHS waiting times! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ

  20. Luton NUT

    RT @libcon: Unbelievable: Lansley blames snow for rising NHS waiting times! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ

  21. Tony Slade

    RT @sunny_hundal: Anyone else waitint to use that excuse? RT @libcon: Lansley blames snow for rising NHS waiting times! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ

  22. Colin Waude

    "@libcon: Lansley blames snow for rising NHS waiting times! http://t.co/aRyAMz7” @tidjipud. Yup.

  23. Pucci Dellanno

    RT @libcon: Unbelievable: Lansley blames snow for rising NHS waiting times! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ

  24. Roy Lilley

    http://bit.ly/fNjleI graph shows waits trend up before Feb

  25. Teresa

    FFS – Lansley blames snow for NHS waiting times! | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/2CxkRyV via @libcon

  26. Calm Confusion

    RT @libcon: Unbelievable: Lansley blames snow for rising NHS waiting times! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ

  27. Andy Brownhill

    FFS what else can they blame the snow on! http://t.co/xQ0rqWV

  28. Watching You

    RT @libcon: Unbelievable: Lansley blames snow for rising NHS waiting times! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ

  29. Danny Strickland

    Lansley blames snow for NHS waiting times! – http://pulsene.ws/1qBvb

  30. Daniel Pitt

    Unbelievable: Lansley blames snow for rising NHS waiting times! http://bit.ly/f1XiEJ #ConDemNation





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