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Dept of Health

Answer

Mr. Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting times for patients undergoing cataract operations at Broomfield hospital, Chelmsford, Essex were in each year from 1990 to 2004. [221954] Dr. Ladyman: Information is not collected by individual hospital. The number of days patients wait for cataract operations at Mid Essex hospitals national health service trust, of which Broomfield hospital is a part, for each year from 1992-93 to 2003-04 are shown in the table. Data prior to 1992 is not held centrally. _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Median waiting time (days) 1992-93 277 1993-94 262 1994-95 257 1995-96 201 1996-97 273 1997-98 293 1998-99 371 1999-2000 349 2000-01 332 2001-02 328 2002-03 333 2003-04 218 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Notes: 1. The main operation is the first recorded operation in the hospital episode statistics (HES) data set and is usually the most resource intensive procedure performed during the episode. It is appropriate to use main operation when looking at admission details, e.g. time waited, but the figures for "all operations count of episodes" give a more complete count of episodes with an operation. Cataracts operations defined as 071,072,074,075 (OPCS4 Procedure). 2. A finished in-year admission is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider, excluding admissions beginning before 1 April at the start of the data-year. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in- patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 3. Time waited statistics from HES are not the same as the published waiting list statistics. HES provides counts and time waited for all patients admitted to hospital within a given period, whereas the published waiting list statistics count those waiting for treatment on a specific date and how long they have been on the waiting list. Also, HES calculates the time waited as the difference between the admission and decision to admit dates. Unlike published waiting list statistics, this is not adjusted for self- deferrals or periods of medical/social suspension. 4. Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed) Source: HES, Department of Health.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

432 c428-9W;432 c426-8W; 221954

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Waiting lists Surgery Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust Broomfield Hospital Cataracts

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk