To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of all breast cancer cases were diagnosed through the (a) non-urgent referral route, (b) screening and (c) urgent referral route in (i) England, (ii) each cancer network area and (iii) each primary care trust area in each of the last five years. (300553)

The following table provides the most recent statistics for England, and the previous years requested, showing the number of breast cancers diagnosed by cytology and/or histology following breast screening in England:

Information is not centrally held on the number of cancers diagnosed following an appointment at an NHS breast screening service on a primary care trust or network basis.

However, these statistics are available on a breast screening unit basis; a copy of these statistics has been placed in the Library.

The NHS Cancer Plan (2000) introduced commitments for waiting times for cancer treatment between referral and first treatment and diagnosis and first treatment, for breast cancer. The statistics used to monitor these commitments indicate the number of patients who were urgently referred for suspected cancer by their general practitioner (GP), and those who entered secondary care from another referral source or with a different priority. Only patients who receive first definitive treatment within English NHS providers are included within these statistics.

For the years 2004-05 to 2008-09 the following table indicates the proportion of patients who received first definitive treatment for breast cancer following an urgent referral for suspected cancer from their GP.

The quarterly statistics for this area do not identify individual primary care trusts due to small cell counts. However a table showing equivalent data by NHS provider, with accompanying details of data sources, definitions and calculations, has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the percentage of bed occupancy was for patients with breast cancer was in (a) England, (b) each cancer network and (c) each primary care trust area in each of the last five years. (300556)

The requested information is not centrally held.

Information is collected annually from national health service providers showing the average daily number of available and occupied beds. However, this is not broken down by specialty. The latest data are for 2008-09 and are published on the Department's website at:

www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Statistics/Performancedataandstatistics/index.htm

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were offered breast prostheses following surgery for breast cancer expressed in each cancer network in the latest period for which figures are available; and what proportion of all patients undergoing breast cancer surgery this represented in each case. (300558)

The requested information is not held centrally.