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Ministry of Defence

Answer

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average (a) in-patient waiting time and (b) out-patient waiting time was for armed forces personnel in (i) 2000, (ii) 2001 and (iii) 2002 treated in (A) the NHS and (B) the private sector; and if he will make a statement. [54136] Dr. Moonie: [holding answer 7 May 2002]: Service patients in the United Kingdom are mainly treated in Defence Secondary Care Agency (DSCA) administered Ministry of Defence Hospital Units (MDHUs) situated in NHS trusts. The DSCA measures treatment waiting times for service personnel at the MDHUs against its Outpatient and Inpatient Key Targets. Details of the Agency's Outpatient and Inpatient Key Targets for 2000-01 and 2001-02 and the Agency's performance against these are given in the tables: Table 1--2000-01 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Key target Outcome Out-patients 45 per cent. of service patients to be offered a first out-patient 34 per cent. within four weeks and 89 per cent. within 13 weeks appointment within four weeks of receipt of a referral and 85 per cent. within 13 weeks In-patients 75 per cent. of service patients to be offered a treatment date 68 per cent which is within 13 weeks of the decision to give in-patient treatment _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Table 2--2001-02 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Key target Outcome Out-patients 45 per cent. of service patients to be offered a first out-patient 33 per cent. within four weeks and 68 per cent. within 13 weeks appointment within four weeks of receipt of a referral and 90 per cent. within 13 weeks In-patients 80 per cent. of service patients to be offered a treatment date 73 per cent. which is within 13 weeks of the decision to give in-patient treatment _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Table 1 covers referrals to MDHUs Derriford, Frimley Park, Northallerton and Peterborough and to the Royal Surrey County Hospital (for oral and maxillofacial surgery only). Table 2 also includes referrals to MDHU Portsmouth, which was created on 1 April 2001. Service personnel can opt to be treated in other NHS hospitals and are referred to these where there is a need for specialised care not available in the Defence Medical Services (DMS) or for geographical reasons. This patient activity is subsumed in overall NHS waiting lists. The DMS do not maintain a central record of treatment waiting times for the service personnel that they refer to the independent health care sector. Such referrals are made under a variety of schemes managed by either the DSCA or the single services.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

54136; 387 c907-8W;387 c905W

Session

2001-02

Subjects

Armed forces Health services Private sector NHS Waiting lists

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

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