HC Deb 08 December 2003 vol 415 cc304-5W
Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were cancelled at London hospitals in each of the last 16 quarters for which figures are available; what percentage of the cancelled operations were consequently carried out within four weeks; and if he will make a statement. [140856]

Mr. Hutton

[holding answer 2 December 2002]As part of the NHS Plan cancelled operations guarantee introduced on 1 April 2002, data are collected on the number of operations cancelled by the hospital 'at the last minute' due to non-clinical reasons, and the number of patients not admitted within 28 days of a 'last minute' cancellation.

Data at England level and by national health service trust and strategic health authority level are available in the Library and on the Department's website at: www.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity/data requests.htm.

This data includes all London trusts.

The NHS Plan states that, from 1 April 2002, if a patient's operation is cancelled by the hospital on the day of surgery for non-clinical reasons, the hospital will have to offer another binding date within a maximum of the next 28 days or fund the patient's treatment at the time and hospital of the patient's choice.

Since 1 April 2003 the guarantee has been extended to cover those patients who are cancelled at the last minute i.e. on the day patients are due to arrive, or after arrival in hospital, or on the day of their operation.

Notes: 1. Since 1 April 2003 quarterly data are collected on the number of operations cancelled by the hospital for non-clinical reasons: (i) at the last minute (i.e. on the day patients are due to arrive, or after arrival in hospital, or on the day of their operation), and (ii) the number of patients not admitted within 28 days of a 'last minute' cancellation. 2. From 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003, quarterly data were collected on the number of operations cancelled by the hospital for non-clinical reasons: (i) on the day of surgery, and (ii) the number of patients not admitted within 28 days of a cancellation on the day of surgery.