Orthopaedics: Waiting Lists Mr. Frank Field To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for an appointment with (a) a knee consultant and (b) a urologist for (i) patients of Wirral Hospital Trust, (ii) patients in Merseyside and (iii) nationally in the latest period for which figures are available. Ann Keen [holding answer 15 November 2007]: The information requested has been set out in the following tables. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Area |Weeks| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Wirral NHS Trust |3.01 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |North West |2.62 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |England |3.09 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Notes: 1. The North West is the nearest region we can measure to the Merseyside region. 2. Trauma and orthopaedic surgeons carry out knee surgery. Source: Department of Health QM08 and QM08R.| | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Area |Weeks| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Wirral NHS Trust |2.97 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |North West |2.48 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |England |2.72 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Note: The North West is the nearest region we can measure to the Merseyside region. Source: Department of Health QM08 and QM08R.| | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mr. Frank Field To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for (a) a knee operation and (b) a hysterectomy for (i) patients of Wirral hospital trust, (ii) patients in Merseyside and (iii) nationally in the latest period for which figures are available. Ann Keen [holding answer 15 November 2007]: The information requested is supplied in the following table. 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|Operation description |Median time waited (in days)|Median time waited (in days)|Median time waited (in days)| 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|Knee operation |162 |164 |168 | 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|Hysterectomy |59 |57 |66 | 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|Note:Data provided are for mean and median “time waited” (in days) rather than “waiting times” where the main operation was a knee operation or hysterectomy (see footnotes for definitions).Source:Hospital Episode Statistics (HES)Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) can only provide counts for “time waited” for all finished admissions within a given period. It is important to note that HES “time waited” figures are different to published waiting list statistics which count those waiting for treatment on a specific date and how long they have been on the waiting list. This elapsed time does not include any wait for referral to a hospital consultant. The data provided are only for elective admissions into hospital for the selected operation from a waiting list or booked elective admissions. The attached results exclude planned elective admissions and unlike published waiting list statistics are not adjusted for self-deferrals (e.g. if a patient deferred an operation as they were on holiday) or periods of medical/social suspension (please see footnotes for definitions of elective admissions from a waiting list, elective booked admissions and planned elective admissions). Note that finished admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.Operational Classification of Interventions and Procedures Version 4.2. (OPSC 4.2)Knee Operation:W40: Total Prosthetic replacement of knee joint using cementW41: Total prosthetic replacement of knee joint not using cementW42: Other total prosthetic replacement of knee jointHysterectomy:Q07.1 Abdominal hysterocolpectomy and excision of periuterine tissueQ07.2 Abdominal hysterectomy and excision of periuterine tissueQ07.3 Abdominal hysterocolpectomy necQ07.4 Total abdominal hysterectomy necQ07.5 Subtotal abdominal hysterectomyQ07.8 Other specified abdominal excision of uterusQ07.9 Unspecified abdominal excision of uterusQ08.1 Vaginal hysterocolpectomy and excision of periuterine tissueQ08.2 Vaginal hysterectomy and excision of periuterine tissue NECQ08.3 Vaginal hysterocolpectomy necQ08.8 Other specified vaginal excision of uterusQ08.9 Unspecified vaginal excision of uterusR25.1 Caesarean hysterectomyData QualityHES are compiled from data sent by over 300 national health service trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The Department liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.Elective admissionsAn admission is elective if the patient has been waiting for treatment. There are three types of elective admissions. The above time waited data exclude planned elective admissions:Elective admissions from a waiting listMost elective admissions are from a waiting list, where the patient has been waiting for a hospital resource e.g. in this case a knee operation or hysterectomy.Elective booked admissionsAn increasing number of elective admissions are booked, where the patient was given a date at the time the decision to admit was made, determined mainly on the grounds of resource availability.Planned elective admissionsA smaller group waits for clinical reasons, where the consultant has advised that the patient should return at an appropriate point when the body has had time for nature to take its course. For example, a patient whose broken leg was mended by means of a steel pin would return to hospital a few weeks later to have a pin removed. Or a cancer sufferer is invited for radiotherapy treatment in a sequence of measured doses, with necessary gaps between sessions for recovery and stabilisation.Finished admission episodesA finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.Main OperationThe main operation is the first recorded operation in the HES data set and is usually the most resource intensive procedure performed during the episode. It is appropriate to use main operation when looking at admission details, eg. time waited, but the figures for “all operations count of episodes” give a more complete count of episodes with an operation.Time WaitedTime waited statistics from HES are not the same as the published waiting list statistics. HES provides counts and time waited for all patients admitted to hospital within a given period whereas the published waiting list statistics count those waiting for treatment on a specific date and how long they have been on the waiting list. Also, HES calculates the time waited as the difference between the admission and decision to admit dates. Unlike published waiting list statistics, this is not adjusted for self-deferrals or periods of medical/social suspension.Ungrossed DataFigures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).| | | | 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