Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many operations were cancelled at Willesden Community Hospital, London,
in the last quarter for which figures are available; what percentage of the cancelled operations were consequently carried out
within four weeks; and if he will make a statement; [128761]
(2) how many operations were cancelled at (a) Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford and (b) West Middlesex Hospital, London in the last
quarter for which figures are available; what percentage of the cancelled operations were subsequently carried out within four
weeks; and if he will make a statement. [128775]
Mr. Hutton: The Department collects quarterly data on `last minute' cancelled operations for non-clinical reasons at Trust level
(i.e. patients cancelled on the day of admission, after admission, or on the day of surgery). Figures for the first quarter of
2003-04 were published on 11 September 2003. Data by individual hospital sites is not collected.
The percentage of cancelled operations that were consequently carried out within four weeks cannot be calculated from the data
available. However, data is available for the number of patients who were not treated within four weeks of a last minute
cancellation as part of the central data collection arrangements for the NHS Plan cancelled operations guarantee. This data is shown
in the table for the respective NHS Trusts for Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford; West Middlesex Hospital, London; and Willesden
Community Hospital, London.
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Quarter 1, 2003-04
Number of last minute cancellations for Number of patients not admitted within 28
non-acute clinical reasons days of a last minute cancellation
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust 37 0
West Middlesex University NHS Trust 20 1
North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 178 0
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Note: The NHS Plan stated that "From 2002, when a patient's operation is cancelled by the hospital on the day of surgery for non
clinical reasons, the hospital will have to offer another binding date within a maximum of the next 28 days or fund the patient's
treatment at the time and hospital of the patient's choice." From April 2003, the cancelled operations guarantee was extended to
apply to cancellations that occur on or after the day of admission.