§ Mr. BreedTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many post-operative home visits were made to patients in settlements with under 3,000 people in(a) 1999, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001. [46452]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 15 April 2002]These statistics are not held centrally.
Primary care trusts have the responsibility for assessing the needs of their local populations and ensuring provision of health care to meet those needs. This includes post-operative care.
An increase in day surgery, often to improve the patient's experience, has required changes in the design of services along the patients care pathway. Immediate post-operative care is often now being provided within the patient's home.