§ Mr. Bob RussellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many and what proportion of cochlear implants were undertaken in each of the last three years on the basis of(a) extra contractual referral, (b) long term service agreements and (c) out-of-area treatments; [133079]
(2) what guidance his Department has given to health authorities and NHS trusts on monitoring the number and proportion of cochlear implants undertaken in each of the last three years on the basis of (a) extra contractual referral, (b) long term service agreements and (c) out-of-area treatment; [133080]
(3) what mechanisms his Department uses to monitor the number and proportion of cochlear implants undertaken in each of the last three years on the basis of (a) extra contractual referral, (b) long term service agreements and (c) out-of-area treatment. [133081]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 27 July 2000]: The Department collects information on cochlear implant operations by the hospital episode statistics (HES) system. HES contains details of patients admitted to, and treated in NHS hospitals in England. More detailed information about extra-contractual referrals, long term service agreements and out of area treatments is collected locally. Guidance in Health Service Circular 1998/198 and Health Service Circular 1999/244 set out arrangements for commissioning specialised services through service agreements. These new arrangements for specialised services require National Health Service trusts and commissioners to draw up service agreements with agreed levels of activity and funding. By March 2001, there should be no cochlear implant operations funded as out of area treatments (OATs) because OATs are primarily intended to cover situations where a patient requires emergency treatment away from home.