§ Bob SpinkTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the qualifying criteria are for patients who wish to take advantage of the patient choice scheme; [159133]
(2) how patients can opt into the patient choice scheme; and if he will list the hospitals in the South East which take on patients under that scheme for each category of treatment; [159134]
(3) how many patients have taken advantage of the patient choice scheme to reduce treatment waiting time. [159135]
§ Mr. HuttonThe London patient choice project and the cardiac choice project offer choice of treatment in an alternative hospital to clinically appropriate patients waiting longer than six months for surgery in the specialties of ophthalmology, orthopaedics, general surgery, ear, nose and throat, urology and cardiac surgery.
In both schemes, eligible patients are contacted by a patient care adviser and offered choice of hospital and appointment.
The cardiac choice scheme is a national scheme which started in July 2002. Since then, 6,089 patients have been offered choice and 3,034, or 51 per cent., have opted for treatment elsewhere.
The London patient choice project is a pan-London scheme which started in October 2002. Since then. 17,133 patients have been offered choice and 10,850, or 63 per cent., have chosen to have treatment at another hospital.
There are seven ether choice pilots in England but these are not routinely monitored.
Hospitals in the South East (defined here as London, the South East and East Anglia) which can take patients under the cardiac choice scheme are:
- National health service trusts
- Papworth Hospital NHS Trust
- Barts and the London NHS Trust
- Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Trust
- Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust
1611W - King's College Hospital NHS Trust
- Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust
- St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust
- St. Mary's NHS Trust
- University College London Hospitals NHS Trust
- Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust
- Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust
- UK independent sector hospitals
- BMI London Independent
- BUPA Cambridge
- BUPA Chalybeate, Southampton
- HCA Harley Street Clinic
- HCA London Bridge Hospital
- HCA Wellington Hospital
- King Edward VII Hospital, Midhurst, Sussex.
There are a number of hospitals outside of the South East which can also take patients under the cardiac choice scheme.
Hospitals in London which can take patients under the London patient choice scheme are:
- National health service trusts
- Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust
- Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust
- Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Trust
- Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust
- King's College Hospital NHS Trust
- Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust
- Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Trust
- North West London Hospitals NHS Trust
- Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust
- St Mary's NHS Trust
- University College London Hospital NHS Trust
- UK independent sector hospitals
- HCA Lister
- HCA Portland
- HCA Princess Grace.