§ Mr. WilshireTo ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 14 October 2003,Official Report, column 212W, on Ashford (Middlesex) Hospital, if he will estimate how many of the 8,555 patients would have been treated over the five year period covered by the contract with Mercury Health Ltd. if the private sector treatment centre did not exist. [134057]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 23 October 2003]The treatment centre at Ashford plans to provide 8,555 procedures over the five years of the contract. Of this, it is estimated that 2,775 procedures are additional and 5,780 procedures will be transferred from the national health service to the new treatment centre. This transfer of patients to the new treatment centre will allow the trust to treat more patients and reduce waiting times in accident and emergency at St. Peter's Hospital (Surrey) by freeing up capacity in the hospital.
In addition, treatment centres are dedicated surgery units that are able to offer patients scheduled procedures at pre-booked times, protected from the pressures of emergency and seasonal demands.