§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the activity levels were in the quarter to(a) December 2000 and (b) December 2001 for (i) new attendances at accident and emergency departments, (ii) first out-patient attendances, (iii) general and acute elective hospital spells and (iv) general and acute non-elective spells. [39958]
§ Mr. HuttonThe activity levels for quarter to(a) December 2000 and (b) December 2001 for (i) new attendances at accident and emergency departments, (ii) first out-patient attendances, (iii) general and acute elective hospital spells and (iv) general and acute non-elective spells are provided in the table.
Attendance and hospital spells in England Thousand October to December 2000 2001 Accident and emergency first attendances 3,181 3,229 General and acute out-patient first attendances 2,844 2,902 Hospital spells General and acute: Total 2,342 2,346 Elective 1,341 1,338 Non elective 1,000 1,007 All estimates are derived from the Department quarterly management information system. Figures for 2000–01 have been adjusted to take account of definitional changes between 2000–01 and 2001–02 to allow direct comparison with 2001–02 figures.
The estimates relate to activity commissioned using national health service funds by health authorities in England. This includes activity in private hospitals and NHS hospitals outside England, but excludes private patients and patients from outside England treated in English NHS Hospitals. Some activity for the latter may be included through host commissioner services (eg accident and emergency and genito urinary medicine).
Management data have been used rather than Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data because HES data are not yet available for December 2001–02.