HC Deb 08 September 2003 vol 410 cc270-2W
Dr. Fox

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were waiting more than 21 weeks at the end of March for an outpatient appointment, broken down by NHS hospital trusts. [127320]

Mr. Hutton

Information on the number of patients at each National Health Service trust and primary care trust (as a provider) who have been waiting more than 21 weeks for a first consultant outpatient appointment following a general practitioner written referral at 31 March 2003, has been placed in the Library.

Tim Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of patients in each health authority in England were waiting for treatment for more than 12 months in 2001–02. [1275211

Mr. Hutton

Information on the percentage of patients who were waiting over 12 months at the end of each quarter for elective inpatient admission by English health authorities in 2001–02, has been placed in the Library.

Mr. Baron

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people suffering from(a) motor neurone disease, (b) migraines, (c) Parkinson's disease, (d) epilepsy and (e) Alzheimer's disease waited (i) up to four weeks, (ii) four to 13 weeks (iii) 13 to 17 weeks, (iv) 17 to 21 weeks, (v) 21 to 26 weeks and (vi) more than 26 weeks from the receipt of a GP written referral request to a first out-patient attendance in each quarter since Quarter 1 of 1996–97 in each NHS trust and primary care trust. [127024]

Dr. Ladyman

Information at the level of detail requested is not available centrally. We have set targets to reduce the waiting between referral and first outpatient appointment in all cases to 16 weeks by 1 April 2004. Each year maximum waiting times will fall so that, by the end of 2005, the first out-patient appointment will be cut to three months. Urgent cases will continue to be treated much faster. People with neurological conditions will benefit from these reductions in waiting times.

Mr. Baron

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what percentage of people suffering from strokes waited for less than four hours for admission to accident and emergency in each quarter for which data is available since Quarter 1 of 1996–97 in each NHS trust and primary care trust; [127026]

(2) what percentage of stroke victims received brain imaging within 48 hours of the onset of the stroke in each quarter for which data is available since Quarter 1 of 1996–97 in each NHS trust and primary care trust.[127027]

Dr. Ladyman

Information about stroke services at the level of detail requested is not available centrally. The most comprehensive source of information on stroke services is the National Sentinel Stroke Audit, carried out by the Royal College of Physicians. The results can be found at http://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/pubs/strokeaudit01–02.pdf.

Mr. Burns

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the latest average waiting time is for in-patient treatment in(a) Greater London and (b) England. [127501]

Mr. Hutton

The table shows the latest estimated average waiting times for elective inpatient admission for England and each London strategic health authority.

Average (median) waiting times for elective inpatient admission: England and London SHAs (commissioner based): Position at 31 May 2003
Median waiting times (months)
England 2.80
North West London HA 2.69
North Central London HA 2.73
North East London HA 2.99
South East London HA 2.92
South West London HA 2.74

Source:

Department of Health form QF01

The Medians in the table are based on aggregate data, categorised into waiting time bands, and do not reflect shifts in the waiting time profiles within these bands, only between bands. Progress on delivering maximum waiting times may not necessarily translate into a reduction in the median waiting time, because of shifts in low time bands.

Tim Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting times are in each hospital trust; and what these were 12 months ago for(a) hip replacements, (b) cataract operations and (c) heart operations. [127558]

Mr. Hutton

Information on waiting times for elective in-patient admission is not collected by type of operation.

Chris Grayling

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting times outside Accident and Emergency departments were in each health authority in each year from 1995–96 to 2001–02. [127718]

Ms Rosie Winterton

The information requested is not collected centrally.