To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients are waiting for NHS treatment for (a) a hip joint replacement, (b) a knee joint replacement, (c) coronary artery bypass grafts and (d) cardiac surgical procedures. [105857]
Information on patients waiting for elective in-patient admissions is in most cases collected at consultant main specialty level, not by procedure. Information is collected on patients waiting for coronary artery bypass grafts, at 31 January 2003 this figure stood at 5,688.
Patients waiting for hip and knee joint replacements are likely to be waiting under the trauma and orthopaedic specialty, coronary artery bypass grafts under cardiology and cardiac surgical procedures under cardiothoracic surgery. In line with NHS Plan targets, by 2005 waiting time for routine cardiac surgery will fall to a maximum of three months and waiting times for all other in-patient procedures will fall to a maximum of six months.
The table shows the number of patients waiting for elective in-patient admission for the above specialties.
Patients waiting for elective in-patient admission: Position at 31 January 2003
| |
Specialty
| Total patients waiting
|
| Trauma and orthopaedics | 268,036 |
| Cardiology | 32,275 |
| Cardiothoracic surgery | 10,426 |
Source:
Department of Health form KHO7