HC Deb 03 July 2000 vol 353 c44W
Mr. Stunell

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS operations in England have been cancelled in the last 12 months for which records are available due to delays in procuring surgical instruments; and if he will make a statement. [128021]

Mr. Denham

Quarterly reports of figures for all cancelled operations in England, which arise on the day a patient was due to come into hospital, or after they have been admitted, are available in the Library. We do not collect data on the reasons for the cancellation of operations but we have no information to suggest that delays in the procurement of surgical instruments have caused cancellations.