§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the estimated impact of the separate classification of tertiary referrals in hospitals as episodes of treatment on the total number of hospital in-patient treatments enumerated in national health service statistics in Wales;326W on what date tertiary referrals were first separately counted for statistical purposes; and what public announcement was made of the change.
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesAggregate information on in-patient treatments in NHS hospitals in Wales continues to be collected as deaths and discharges from hospitals as in previous years.
A letter to district general managers DGM(90)123, announced that from 1 April 1991, data relating to individual patient episodes would record tertiary referrals and cross-specialty referrals separately. These data will be used to supply detailed disaggregated analyses of patients' episodes of care in hospitals relating to specific types of treatment, characteristics of patients, and categories of illness.
§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with fund-holding general practitioners concerning the introduction of separate accounting for tertiary referrals during hospital treatment; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesGuidance was issued in January 1991 on the handling of tertiary referrals. No indications have been received that further guidance is necessary. Fundholding general practitioners should specify in their contracts the arrangements for tertiary referrals to ensure that these are only made with their agreement. Where a referral is made without this agreement they are not liable for payment.