HC Deb 30 October 2000 vol 355 c241W
Jackie Ballard

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were waiting for in-patient treatment for(a) cancer, (b) heart disease and (c) HIV and hepatitis in each of the last 10 years in (i) Taunton constituency and (ii) Somerset Health Authority. [134315]

Mr. Denham

The numbers of patients from Somerset Health Authority waiting for inpatient treatment at 31 March in the specialities Cardiothoracic surgery and Cardiology are shown in the table. This information was not collected prior to march 1994. It is not possible to provide the information at a constituency level.

Information on inpatient waiting times is collected by consultant speciality. Treatment for cancer, HIV and hepatitis is carried out in a number of specialities and the numbers waiting for treatment are therefore not identifiable separately.

Total inpatient waiting list for specialties cardiothoracic surgery and cardiology1
Year Cardiothoracic surgery Cardiology
March 1994 104 0
March 1995 84 27
March 1996 118 86
March 1997 148 119
March 1998 105 105
March 1999 179 137
March 2000 236 228
1 Somerset HA (1997–2000)
1Somerset DHA (1994–1996)

Jackie Ballard

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many out-patients were waiting for treatment for more than six months in each of the last 10 years in(a) the Taunton constituency and (b) Somerset Health Authority. [134316]

Mr. Denham

The numbers of patients from Somerset Health Authority waiting more than twenty six weeks for an outpatient appointment are shown in the table. This information was not collected prior to March 1998. It is not possible to provide the information at a constituency level.

Outpatients still waiting 26 plus weeks
Year Somerset HA
March 1998 566
March 1999 1,068
March 2000 1,149

Source:

QM08, QM08R quarterly returns