§ Dr. Evan HarrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what(a) targets he has set and (b) guidance he has issued relating to the treatment of patients who have had their operation cancelled more than once. [121751]
§ Mr. HuttonSince 1 April 2002, as part of the NHS Plan cancelled operations guarantee, if a patient has their operation cancelled by the hospital on the day of surgery for non-clinical reasons, the hospital will have to 667W offer another binding date within a maximum of the next 28 days or fund the patient's treatment at the time and hospital of the patient's choice. From 1 April 2003, the guarantee has been extended to cover patients cancelled by the hospital for non-clinical reasons at the last minute, for example, on the day of admission to hospital.
National health service trusts are also required to treat patients who have had their operation cancelled within maximum waiting times for inpatient treatment. There are no specific guidelines on how to treat patients whose operation has been cancelled more than once. General guidance on utilising operating theatres more effectively and managing cancelled operations has been provided through the Modernisation Agency's operating theatre and pre-operative assessment 668W programmes. This guidance is entitled "Tackling Cancelled Operations and Step Guide to Improving Operating Theatre Performance" and can be found at www.modern.nhs.uk/theatreprogramme.