Radiotherapy (Hansard, 18 November 1991)

§ Mr. Henderson
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the waiting time for patients needing radiotherapy treatment for cancer at each hospital in the Northern regional health authority area in May 1991; and what is the latest waiting time for those patients.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
There are no patients waiting for in-patient radiotherapy treatment at any of the hospitals in the Northern region in May 1991 or at present. Out-patients—non-urgent cases—in Newcastle general hospital were waiting for an average of four weeks in May 1991; this has increased to an average of six weeks. New facilities costing £3.2 million now coming on stream will reduce the waiting time to four weeks by early spring 1992.

§ Mr. Henderson
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will increase the level of funding to the Northern regional health authority to provide for the repair of inoperative radiotherapy equipment.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
Northern regional health authority is currently investing £3.2 million at Newcastle general hospital in the most up-to-date radiotherapy facilities in the United Kingdom including the latest linear accelerator equipment. The regional health authority announced on 9 November that an additional £190,000 has been allocated to the hospital for an additional44W consultant and radiography staff. It is expected that this will have a speedy effect on waiting times. Non-urgent cases waiting times will reduce to about four weeks by February 1992.

§ Mr. Henderson
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in the Northern regional health authority area who were on the waiting list for radiotherapy treatment have died in the current year before receiving treatment; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
This information is not available.

§ Mr. Henderson
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will initiate a full inquiry into the treatment of cancer patients in the area of the Northern regional health authority.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
No. I understand from the chairman of Northern regional health authority that 4,600 patients have been treated by the Northern RHA in 1990–91: an increase of 11.3 per cent. over the previous year. This level of radiotherapy treatment is entirely consistent with levels and patterns of treatment in England as a whole.