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8 Dec 2005 : Column 1579W—continued

Waiting Times

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 5 October 2005, Official Report, column 2842W, on waiting times, where her Department is piloting data collections to support the 18-week waiting time target; when these data will be published; what data are being collected under each of the pilots; when she expects the collection of data to be extended to all parts of the country; and if she will make a statement. [23953]

Mr. Byrne: Details of the sites and diagnostic tests piloted are shown in the list. Pilot diagnostics data collections have helped refine the list of diagnostic tests to be included in the national data collection for the 18-week target. The national data collection is to be rolled out nationally from January 2006.

Since this has been a pilot exercise, we have no plans to publish the associated data.

A listening exercise on the principles and definitions to underpin the implementation of the 18-week target is under way. This will help inform the development of systems for measuring performance against the target. The exercise is being conducted via the 18-week website (www.18weeks.nhs.uk).

18 weeks pilot sites:

Aintree Hospitals National Health Service Trust

Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust

Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust

Central Manchester and Manchester Children's Hospitals University NHS Trust

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust

Gateshead Health NHS Trust

Guy's and St Thomas's NHS Foundation Trust

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust

Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Trust

Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust

Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust

Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust

Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Trust

Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Trust

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust

St George's Healthcare NHS Trust

Stockport NHS Foundation Trust

Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust

 
8 Dec 2005 : Column 1580W
 

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Wirral Hospitals NHS Trust

Somerset Coast Primary Care Trust (PCT)

Bromley PCT

Craven, Harrogate and Rural District PCT

Newark and Sherwood PCT

Tests piloted:

Magnetic resonance imaging

Computerised topography

Non-obstetric ultrasound

Barium Enema (from July)

DEXA scan (from July)

Audiology—pure tone audiometry

Cardiology—echocardiography

Cardiology—electrophysiology

Neurophysiology—peripheral neurophysiology

Respiratory physiology—sleep studies

Urodynamics—pressures and flows (from July)

Colonoscopy (from July)

Flexi sigmoidoscopy (from July)

Cystoscopy (from July)

Gastroscopy (from July)

Cardiology—diagnostic cardiac catheters/angiography (April to July)

GI Physiology—manometry (April to July)

Nurse and GPSI-led endoscopy (April to June)

All other endoscopy (April to June)

All other diagnostic tests or procedures (April to June)

Physiological measurement—breath tests (July)

Physiological Measurement—balance tests (July)

Physiological measurement—event monitoring in ECGs (July)

Endoscopy—ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) (July)

Endoscopy—colposcopy (July)

Endoscopy—hysteroscopy (July)

Endoscopy—laparoscopy (July)

Imaging—nuclear medicine (July)

X-ray Equipment

Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on (a) repairing existing and (b) buying new NHS X-ray equipment in 2004–05. [33603]

Jane Kennedy: A figure of £110 million, excluding value added tax, is recorded for repairs to existing x-ray equipment for national health service trusts in England in 2004–05. X-ray equipment is taken to refer to x-ray imaging equipment only: fluoroscopy, bone densitometers, general and mobile x-ray, mammography, cardiac, mobile image intensifiers.

X-ray film or posterior anterior chest system, linear accelerators, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging equipment are therefore not included in these figures.

Information on buying new NHS x-ray equipment in 2004–05 is not held centrally.

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