Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on reducing waiting lists for planned care in Essex.

Tackling waiting lists is a key part of our Health Mission. We will deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments, equivalent to 40,000 per week, in our first year, as part of our commitment to ensuring patients can expect to be treated within 18 weeks across the whole country, including in Essex.

There are three integrated care boards (ICBs) that border Essex: Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB, Mid and South Essex ICB and Suffolk and North East Essex ICB. The total Consultant-led Referral to Treatment Waiting List across these ICBs has decreased by 44,786 or 7.9% between 31 August 2023 and 31 August 2024.