§ Bob SpinkTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many patients he estimates will receive treatment under the Patients Choice Scheme in its first year; and if he will make a statement; [164695]
217W(2) if he will make it his policy to allow patients to opt into the Patients Choice Scheme; and if he will make a statement. [164696]
§ Mr. HuttonThe Department is committed to giving patients greater choice over the hospital they attend.
All strategic health authorities have completed robust plans for the implementation of choice for patients waiting more than six months for elective surgery which will be rolled out between April and August 2004. The plans anticipate that during the period April 2004 and December 2004 some 85,000 patients who have waited over six months will accept the choice of moving to another hospital for faster treatment. By December 2004 there will be no patients waiting longer than six months for inpatient treatment.
All patients waiting more than six months for elective surgery will be eligible to be considered for the scheme unless there is an overriding clinical reason why it would not be in the patient's best interest.
Under the current choice pilot schemes, almost 20,000 patients have already chosen to move to another hospital for faster treatment.
From December 2005 choice of hospital will be offered at the point of general practitioner referral, benefiting 10 million patients each year.