To ask the Scottish Executive what the current target (a) average waiting time is for an appointment with a consultant and (b) target waiting time is following a referral from a general practitioner, giving separate figures for heart disease, cancer and any other diseases for which separate figures are available.

The national target in relation to out-patient waiting, set out in Building a Better Scotland , published on 12 September 2002, is that, by 2006, no patient should wait more than six months for a first out-patient appointment.

Information on out-patient waiting times is collected centrally at specialty level only. The median waiting time for a first out-patient appointment with a consultant, following referral by a General Medical/Dental Practitioner, for the six most common specialties and for cardiology, in the year ended 31 March 2002, are given in the table.

NHSScotland. Median Waiting Times for a First Out-Patient Appointment with a Consultant, Following Referral by a General Medical Practitioner: Year Ended 31 March 2002.

Source: ISD Scotland.