§ Mr. MooreTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people in Scotland had been waiting over(a) one, (b) three, (c) six and (d) 12 months for cancer surgery in the year ended 31 March; and what was the total number of people in Scotland treated or waiting for cancer treatment in the same period. [37792]
§ Mr. Galbraith[holding answer 6 April 1998]: The precise information is not available centrally since the waiting times data collected nationally do not explicitly identify patients waiting for cancer surgery.
Cancer-related diagnosis covers a very wide range of surgical treatments, not all of which are of a serious nature. Information is collected nationally on the number of patients who were admitted to hospital from the waiting list with a cancer-related diagnosis and who were later discharged following a surgical procedure. The figures therefore do not relate to initial diagnosis nor the necessity for immediate treatment. The latest available information is provided in the table. It would be noted that, in the year to 31 December 1997, over 57% of patients who waited more than a month had minor surgical procedures for the bladder or for skin lesions.
The total number of patients discharged from hospital following cancer-related treatment in the year to 31 December 1997 was 118,191.
Patients waited Year ending 31 December 1997 (provisional) over one month 5,906 over three months 961 over six months 201 over twelve months 18 Source:
SMRI, ISD Scotland