HC Deb 07 March 1996 vol 273 c324W
Mr. Milburn

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide a quarterly analysis of the number of operations cancelled in each region since figures have been published. [19497]

Ms Coffey

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library figures by(a) district health authority and (b) regional health authority, of the number of operations cancelled on the day of, or the day after, admission to hospital and the number of those patients not readmitted within a month for (i) the second and (ii) the third quarter of 1995–96. [19471]

Mr. Horam

The national health service performs over 5 million operations annually. Fewer than 50,000 or less than 0.01 per cent. were cancelled in 1994–95 and many of these would have been unavoidable.

The available information relates to the number of operations cancelled for non-medical reasons on the day patients are due to arrive or after arrival in hospital. This will be placed in the Library.