HC Deb 22 October 2003 vol 411 cc631-2W
David Davis

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in(a) 2002 and (b) 2003 in Hull and the East Riding waited longer than eight weeks after being referred to a cancer specialist. [132396]

Miss Melanie Johnson

Information on the number of patients waiting longer than eight weeks after being referred to a cancer specialist is not collected by the Department. Statistics are collected on the number of patients who wait more than 28 days for a first outpatient appointment following general practitioner urgent referral with suspected cancer. For Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals National Health Service Trust, when the referral was received within 24 hours, one patient waited more than 28 days to see a cancer specialist in 2001–02 and three patients waited longer than 28 days in 2002–03. Source: Department of Health form QMCW.