HL Deb 18 December 2003 vol 655 c184WA
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether their records of waiting times for specific specialities are based on England-wide data rather than extrapolated from sample National Health Service trusts. [HL292]

Lord Warner

Waiting times information is collected from all National Health Service trusts and primary care trusts where these organisations provide either a consultant-led inpatient service or a consultant-led outpatient service or both. The information is collected at speciality level and covers waits for elective inpatient admission and first consultant outpatient appointment following general practitioner or general dental practitioner referral. The information is also collected on a commissioner basis and primary care trusts submit specialty level data on patients waiting for services for which they have commissioned.

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether those on the official waiting lists for specific specialities are from general practitioner referrals only; and whether they include doctor-to-doctor or nurse-to-doctor referrals across specialities. [HL351]

Lord Warner

The current outpatient waiting time target applies to patients waiting for their first outpatient appointment with a consultant following a general practitioner or general dental practitioner does not include consultant-to-consultant, nurse-to-consultant or any other referrals.

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