§ Mr. JackTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's target is, under the National Cancer Plan, for the number of CT scanners per thousand of the population.[11887]
§ Jacqui SmithIn 2000 there were approximately five machines per million head of population in England. By the time the investment programme in computer tomography scanners is completed in 2004 that figure will have risen to seven per million.
§ Mr. JackTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the criteria employed in determining which(a) hospitals and (b) cancer centres will receive help from the Cancer Capital Modernisation Fund CT Scanner Replacement Programme 2000 to 2003.[11886]
§ Jacqui SmithThe clear criterion announced in January 2000 was based on the age of the scanners in the national health service at that time. By 2004 all computer tomograpy scanners in the NHS will be no more than 10 years old.
No distinction was made in applying the above criterion between scanners for cancer centres and those for other hospitals.