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Dept of Health

Answer

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people presenting with symptoms of (a) breast cancer and (b) colo/rectal cancer were seen by a specialist within (i) two weeks and (ii) four weeks during (A) 2000-01 and (B) 1996-97 in Sefton health authority. [158514] Yvette Cooper: In April 1999, we introduced the standard that patients with suspected breast cancer referred urgently by their general practitioners should be offered an appointment with a specialist within two weeks of requesting an appointment. Central monitoring of this information began in April 1999. The table gives the number of urgent breast cancer referrals seen in Sefton health authority between 1 April 2000 and 31 December 2000. Data for 1 January 2001 to 31 March 2001 will be available in June 2001. Central monitoring on all other urgent suspected cancer referrals, including bowel cancer, began on 1 January 2001 and the first data will be available later this year. Sefton health authority: Waiting times for suspected breast cancer patients, 2000-01 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4 Number seen during quarter 296 300 318 {1}-- by a specialist within 14 days of the decision to refer by their GP Number seen during quarter 310 300 321 {1}-- by a specialist within 28 days of the decision to refer by their GP Total number seen during 310 300 321 {1}-- quarter Percentage seen during 95.5 100.0 99.1 {1}-- quarter by a specialist within 14 days of the decision to refer by their GP Percentage seen during 100.0 100.0 100.0 {1}-- quarter by a specialist within 28 days of the decision to refer by their GP _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} Available June 2001 Source: QMCW quarterly returns

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

158514; 367 c570W

Session

2000-01

Subjects

Breast cancer Cancer Consultants Hospitals Patients Waiting lists Standards Sefton Bowel cancer Sefton Health Authority

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

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