Cancer Treatment

HC Deb 27 June 2000 vol 352 cc437-8W

Mr. Hammond

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of urgent referrals by general practitioners of patients with suspected cancer he estimates were seen by cancer specialists in the most recent period for which figures are available. [125256]

Yvette Cooper

Since April 1999, we have set the standard that patients with suspected breast cancer will be offered an appointment with a specialist within two weeks of their general practitioner making an urgent referral. Table 1 shows that in the most recent period (January to March 2000) 96 per cent. of patients referred urgently received an appointment with a specialist within 14 days where the hospital received the referral within 24 hours of the GP deciding to refer. Table 2 shows that nearly 80 per cent. of patients were seen within two weeks where the referral was received outside 24 hours of the GP deciding to refer.

By December 2000 this high quality service will be extended to thousands of other worried patients as the standard is introduced for all cases of suspected cancer requiring urgent investigation.

Outpatient waiting times for suspected breast cancer patients by region—quarter ended March 2000; England (hospital based)

Table 1: Urgent referrals received within 24 hours of the GP deciding to refer the patient
	Waiting time from urgent referral by their GP to first outpatient appointment
Region	0–14 days	More than 14 days	Percentage seen within 14 days
Northern and Yorkshire	1,916	87	95.7	1(96.6)
Trent	1,728	40	97.7	1(98.2)
West Midlands	3,253	59	98.2	1(95.3)
North West	1,841	106	94.6	1(92.2)
Eastern	1,246	32	97.5	1(98.9)
London	1,887	89	95.5	1(97.1)
South East	2,472	223	91.7	1(95.2)
South West	1,953	22	98.9	1(99.7)
England	16,296	658	96.1	1(96.4)

Table 2: Referrals not received within 24 hours of the GP deciding to refer the patient
	Waiting time from urgent referral by their GP to first outpatient appointment
Region	0–14 days	More than 14 days	Percentage seen within 14 days
Northern and Yorkshire	332	122	73.1	1(77.9)
Trent	526	166	76.0	1(65.6)
West Midlands	418	68	86.0	1(87.6)
North West	776	231	77.1	1(69.1)
Eastern	263	33	88.9	1(86.1)
London	757	194	79.6	1(73.1)
South East	402	117	77.5	1(84.0)
South West	239	34	87.5	1(95.8)
England	3,713	965	79.4	1(76.7)
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