Despite pressures on the acute hospital system and influencing factors such as the winter vomiting bug, considerable progress was made in 2002 by health agencies in reducing waiting times for public patients. The total number of children waiting for more than six months for in-patient treatment fell by 24% between June and December 2002. The total number of adults waiting for more than 12 months for in-patient treatment in the nine target surgical specialties covered by the waiting list initiative fell by 15% between June and September 2002. The House might be interested to note that the total number of patients on the public hospital waiting list represents just 2% of all discharges from acute hospitals in 2002. The Government will continue to make inroads on the waiting lists.