HC Deb 03 July 2000 vol 353 cc39-40W
Mr. Paul Marsden

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) hip operations, (b) knee replacements, (c) hernia operations and (d) cataract operations were carried out at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital in the last available year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [126590]

Yvette Cooper

The table shows the information requested for the period 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000.

Number of operations
Hip operations 80
Knee replacements 5
Hernia operations 717
Cataract operations 1,546

Action is being taken specifically on both reducing waiting times for patients needing orthopaedic procedures and on improving services to them. We are also improving access to cataract services. In doing so, it will improve the volume of surgery and reduce waiting lists. A capital modernisation fund of £20 million over two years from 2000–01 will allow local services to modernise.

Mr. Paul Marsden

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital have benefited from the two week wait for treatment for cancer; and if he will make a statement. [126591]

Yvette Cooper

The National Health Service White Paper sets a cancer standard of two weeks from general practitioner referral to first outpatient appointment. This arrangement has been in place since April 1999 for breast cancer and a rolling programme is in place to achieve the same standard of care for all cancers during 2000.

The table shows the number of women seen at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital NHS Trust within two weeks of urgent referral for breast cancer since the standard was introduced.

Waiting times for breast cancer treatment
Q1 April to June 1999 Q2 July to September 1999 Q3 October to December 1999 Q4 January to March 2000
Urgent referrals received within 24 hours:
Seen within 14 days 1 13 28 30
Not seen within 14 days 0 0 0 8
Urgent referrals not received within 24 hours:
Seen within 14 days 14 11 0 3
Not seen within 14 days 1 0 0 0

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