Written question asked by Desmond Swayne (Conservative) on Wednesday, 12 October 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 14 October 2005. It was answered by Lord Touhig (Labour) on Tuesday, 18 October 2005 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Waiting Times

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps are taken to monitor treatment waiting times for servicemen and women who are referred from military primary care to NHS consultants.

Answer: Servicemen or women can be referred from military primary care to NHS consultants via two routes. The first is through Ministry of Defence Hospital Units (MDHUs), where waiting times are monitored using contracts held by Director Healthcare, part of the Defence Medical Services Department.Alternatively, if a patient has been treated in a non-MDHU hospital, Single Service primary care organisations monitor waiting times either centrally or at the individual practice level.

Secondary information