§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when the London regional office will conclude its review of the Epsom and St. Helier NHS Trust in respect of its management of in-patient waiting lists; and if he will publish the findings. [32665]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 6 February 2002]: Epsom and St. Helier National Health Service Trust validates both its active and suspended list on a regular basis and is confident that their waiting lists are robust and accurate. Further validation was carried out by the trust itself as a result of being identified as having a suspension rate greater than 10 per cent. Epsom and St. Helier was not identified as having adjusted inappropriately its waiting list figures.
The regional office conducts robust validation of waiting list data from trusts and health authorities including following up any irregularities. The regional office does not consider that there is any reason to review waiting list information at Epsom and St. Helier NHS Trust. The Audit Commission has indicated that it will conduct a further audit of trusts whose suspension rate is higher than 10 per cent., as a matter of course.