§ Mr. FrenchTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the average time taken to complete the paperwork required on the admission of a patient to hospital; and if he will make a statement on his proposals on how it might be reduced. [22142]
§ Mr. HoramThe information to provide such an estimate is not available centrally. However, opportunities to streamline the admission process are provided by the information management and technology infrastructure. In particular, the new NHS number and the NHS administrative register enable quick reference to essential patient administrative information.