§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what assessment he has made of the cost of unnecessary investigations ordered by doctors, of unnecessary operations carried out by surgeons and the continuing visits to out-patient departments by patients who are seen by junior doctors for no good reason; and if he will take steps to ensure that more patients are treated by senior doctors when they are referred to hospital.
§ Mr. John PattenThe need for, type and frequency of investigations and any operations considered necessary for the care or treatment of National Health Service patients are matters for the clinical judgment of the doctors responsible for each case. Those decisions will require an individual assessment of each patient and will be dependent on their condition at any one time, their symptoms or illness, and the clinician's requirements for information or diagnosis.
It is similarly for the consultant responsible for each case to determine how any treatment should be carried out; 167W by whom, and the frequency and timing of any follow-up out-patient clinic attendances. These decisions will also be tailored to the individual needs of each patient seen.