HC Deb 02 December 2002 vol 395 cc609-10W
Tim Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were cancelled in each of the last 10 years(a) as a total figure and (b) as a percentage of all patients treated. [83291]

Mr. Hutton

Information on the total number of operations cancelled are not collected. Figures are collected on the number of patients whose operations are cancelled by the hospital for non-clinical reasons at the last minute. Data were not collected on cancelled operations before 1994–95.

These data, as a percentage of elective general and acute admissions and first finished consultant episodes, are provided in the table.

Year Quarter Number of operations cancelled at the last minute1 Cancelled operations as percentage of general and acute elective first FCE admissions
2002–03 Quarter 1 14,808 1.11
2001–02 Quarter 1 20,833 1.65
Quarter 2 20,901 1.57
Quarter 3 20,036 1.50
Quarter 4 19,973 1.47
Whole year 2001–02 81,743 1.55
2000–01 Quarter 1 17,033 1.27
Quarter 2 16,965 1.24
Quarter 3 18,844 1.35
Quarter 4 24,976 1.78
Whole year 2000–01 77,818 1.41
1999–2000 Quarter 1 12,313 0.93
Quarter 2 12,017 0.90
Quarter 3 15,769 1.18
Quarter 4 20,143 1.46
Whole year 1999–2000 60,242 1.12
1998–99 Quarter 1 12,384 0.97
Quarter 2 11,470 0.87
Quarter 3 14,611 1.07
Quarter 4 17,685 1.32
Whole year 1998–99 56,150 1.06
1997–98 Quarter 1 12,019 1.01
Quarter 2 11,550 0.95
Quarter 3 12,476 1.02
Quarter 4 14,460 1.18
Whole year 1997–98 50,505 1.04
1996–97 Quarter 1 11,595 0.98
Quarter 2 11,055 0.90
Quarter 3 13,023 1.06
Quarter 4 16,374 1.38
Whole year 1996–97 52,047 1.08

Year Quarter Number of operations cancelled at the last minute1 Cancelled operations as percentage of general and acute elective first FCE admissions
1995–96 Quarter 1 11,860 1 04
Quarter 2 11,457 0.97
Quarter 3 14,514 1.19
Quarter 4 16,652 1.34
Whole year 1995–96 54,483 1.14
1994–95 Quarter 1 11,603 1.08
Quarter 2 10,186 0.91
Quarter 3 11,874 1.02
Quarter 4 14,466 1.22
Whole year 1994–95 48,129 1.06
1Operations cancelled at the last minute are the number of patients whose operations are cancelled on the day patients are due to arrive or after arrival in hospital or on the day of their operation.

Dr. Fox

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were cancelled(a) on the day of admission and (b) prior to admission for non-clinical reasons in each quarter since June 2001, broken down by NHS hospital trust. [84039]

Mr. Hutton

Data are collected on the number of operations cancelled by the hospital for non-clinical reasons on the day patients are due to arrive or after arrival in hospital or on the day of their operation. These data are not broken down into whether an operation was cancelled on the day of admission or prior to admission. These data are available at trust level on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity/data—requests.htm.