HC Deb 08 January 2001 vol 360 cc434-5W
Mr. Paul Marsden

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many patients have benefited in Shrewsbury and Atcham from the new national standards for access to cancer care services; and if he will make a statement; [143375]

(2) what percentage of oral cancer patients at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital were given an outpatient appointment within 14 days of their GP making an urgent referral in (a) 1997 and (b) 2000; and if he will make a statement. [143373]

Yvette Cooper

In April 1999, we introduced the standard that patients with suspected breast cancer referred urgently by their general practitioner within 24 hours of deciding that an urgent assessment is required should be offered an appointment with a specialist within two weeks. The table gives the number of urgent breast cancer referrals seen by the Royal Shrewsbury Hospitals National Health Service Trust since April 1999.

Royal Shrewsbury Hospitals NHS Trust
Seen within 14 days Not seen within 14 days Percentage seen within 14 days
Urgent referrals received within 24 hours
Quarter 11 1 0 100
Quarter 21 13 0 100
Quarter 31 28 0 100
Quarter 41 30 8 79
Quarter 12 46 0 100
Total 118 8 93.7

Royal Shrewsbury Hospitals NHS Trust
Seen within 14 days Not seen within 14 days Percentage seen within 14 days
Urgent referrals not received within 24 hours
Quarter 11 14 1 93.3
Quarter 21 11 0 100
Quarter 31 0 0 3
Quarter 41 3 0 100
Quarter 12 20 0 100
Total 48 1 98.0
11999–2000
22000–01
3not applicable

During 2000, we have put arrangements in place through a phased roll out to extend this high-quality service to all urgent suspected cancer referrals. Head and neck cancers were included in the fourth tranche of the roll out which was introduced on 1 December 2000. Data on the number of oral cancer patients seen within two weeks of referral were not collected centrally in 1997, but arrangements are being put in place to monitor performance of the all cancer two week standard, including head and neck cancers, from 1 January 2001.