§ 14. Mr. LilleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish on a regular basis waiting times for patients for appointments with consultants in each specialty at each NHS hospital. [110866]
§ Mr. DenhamData on outpatient waiting times by specialty in each National Health Service trust are published quarterly. Figures for the quarter ended 31 December 1999 show that 75 per cent. of patients were seen within 13 weeks of written referral by a general practitioner, with 93 per cent. seen with 26 weeks.
Finished Consultant Episodes (FCEs): Inguinal hernia operations in Doncaster and Barnsley 1994–95 to 1998–99 District of Residence/Main operation 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 Barnsley DHA Inguinal hernia 441 407 401 347 390 Recurrent inguinal hernia 36 31 17 35 38 Total 477 438 418 382 428 Doncaster DHA Inguinal hernia 452 481 412 440 495 Recurrent inguinal hernia 42 42 41 35 27 Total 494 523 453 475 522 Notes:
1. An FCE is defined as a period of patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.
2. The figures for 1998–99 and 1997–98 are provisional, as no adjustments have yet been made for shortfalls in data (ie the data are ungrossed) but for 1994–95 to 1996–97 figures are grossed for both coverage and unknown/invalid clinical data.