HC Deb 26 February 2003 vol 400 cc612-3W
Mr. Burstow

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place a copy of the most recent Quarter 3 delayed discharge and emergency readmission figures in the Library; what assessment he has made of the information collected; and how many times the way the information is collated has been altered in the last five years. [97079]

Jacqui Smith

The information on Quarter 3, 2002–03, delayed discharge and emergency readmission figures has been placed in the Library. Between September 2001 and December 2002, more than 2,000 fewer people were waiting to be discharged from hospital on any single day. The rate of 28-day emergency readmission for patients of all ages has increased very slightly over last quarter from 5.35 to 5.4 per cent. In the last five years, the basis of the information collection has changed to patients of all ages, rather than only patients over 75 years, and from April 2002, the data have been collected by primary care trust area instead of the former health authorities.