§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were cancelled in(a) England and (b) Wales in the last three months; and how many of these were due to delayed discharge. [82494]
§ Mr. HuttonIn England, data are collected on the number of patients whose operation has been cancelled for non-clinical reasons "on the day of surgery and at the last minute". The most recent data available for the quarter ending June 2002 shows there were 14,808 operations cancelled at the last minute for non-clinical reasons, of which 10,819 operations were cancelled on the day of surgery.
The data collected on cancelled operations for non-clinical reasons are not broken down into the reasons for cancellation. Therefore, no data can be provided on how many operations are cancelled due to delayed discharge from hospital.
Health matters in Wales are the responsibility of the National Assembly for Wales.