§ Mrs. Iris RobinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients were awaiting physiotherapy assessment in each six-month interval over the last five years. [151222]
§ Angela SmithInformation on the number of individuals awaiting physiotherapy assessment is not collected centrally. However, information is collected centrally on completed waiting times for a first outpatient appointment of an episode of care with a community physiotherapist. The total number of persons attending their first outpatient appointment, and the number of those who had waited for six months or more for their appointment, is shown in the following table. The information is in respect of six-month intervals from the quarter ending 30 September 1998 to the quarter ending 30 September 2003 (the latest date for which such information is available).
Number of persons who attended their first outpatient appointment with a community physiotherapist, and number and percentage who had waited for six months or more for appointment, quarters ending 30 September 1998 to 30 September 2003 Persons who waited six months or more Quarter Ending: Total Number of persons Number percentage 30 September 1998 9,863 14 0.1 31 March 1999 10,679 19 0.2 30 September 1999 11,837 51 0.4 31 March 2000 11,704 83 0.7 30 September 2000 11,492 188 1.6 31 March 2001 13,446 142 1.1 30 September 2001 12,754 324 2.5 31 March 2002 14,154 475 3.4 30 September 2002 14,303 441 3.1 31 March 2003 15,644 570 3.6 30 September 2003 12,798 420 3.3