HC Deb 13 January 1995 vol 252 cc266-7W
Mrs. Beckett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the national standard waiting time for coronary artery bypass surgery where a patient's life is under threat.

Mr. Malone

It is not appropriate to have a waiting time standard for coronary bypass surgery where a patient's life is under threat. All such patients are treated as emergencies.

Patients are placed on a waiting list only if, in the opinion of a clinician at the time of assessment, their condition is judged to be stable.

Mrs. Beckett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what percentage of patients die while on the waiting list for coronary artery bypass surgery;

(2) what information her Department has of the number of people dying while waiting for hospital heart bypass operations.

Mr. Malone

I refer the right hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the then Minister for Health gave the hon. Member for Bristol, South (Ms Primarolo) on 19 May 1994,Official Report, column 559.