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12 Jan 2006 : Column 884W—continued

Waiting Times

Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) average and (b) target waiting times to see a (i) consultant psychiatrist and (ii) psychologist were in (A) Blackpool, (B) the North West and (C) England in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [37656]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department does not routinely collect information on waiting times for appointments with psychologists as waiting time targets apply to consultant-led services only.

The maximum waiting time for a first out-patient appointment with a psychiatry consultant is 17 weeks. From the end of 2005, the target will reduce to 13 weeks. The maximum waiting time for in-patient treatment under the care of a psychiatry consultant is nine months. From the end of 2005, the target will reduce to six months.

Information on the estimated average waiting time from general practitioner written referral to first out-patient appointment with a psychiatry consultant in Blackpool primary care trust (PCT), Cumbria and Lancashire strategic health authority (SHA) and England is shown in the following table. This information is not being captured at regional level. Therefore, such information for the North West is not available.
Estimated average waiting time from general practitioner written referral to first out-patient appointment, September 2001 to September 2005. Commissioner based

	Effective length of wait from receipt of GP written referral request to first out-patient attendance (weeks)
Quarter	0<4	4<13	13<17	17<21	21 plus	Median wait
Blackpool PCT
September 2002	93	44	12	1	0	3.2
September 2003	89	49	4	5	0	3.3
September 2004	62	46	0	1	0	3.5
September 2005	18	32	15	0	0	8.2

Effective length of wait from receipt of GP written referral request to first out-patient attendance (weeks)

Quarter	0<4	4<13	13<26	26 plus	Median wait
Cumbria and Lancashire SHA
September 2001	683	533	139	34	4.2

 
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Effective length of wait from receipt of GP written referral request to first out-patient attendance (weeks)

Quarter	0<4	4<13	13<17	17<21	21 plus	Median wait
September 2002	546	402	46	25	35	3.9
September 2003	547	700	43	29	0	5.5
September 2004	670	485	75	20	0	3.7
September 2005	105	91	27	3	0	4.8

Effective length of wait from receipt of GP written referral request to first out-patient attendance (weeks)

Quarter	0<4	4<13	13<26	26 plus	Median wait
England
September 2001	14,590	11,443	2,067	579	3.9

 
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Effective length of wait from receipt of GP written referral request to first out-patient attendance (weeks)

Quarter	0<4	4<13	13<17	17<21	21 plus	Median wait
September 2002	11,052	8,174	1,122	607	450	3.9
September 2003	12,204	9,562	695	261	13	3.7
September 2004	10,454	7,813	833	78	2	3.7
September 2005	4,170	2,174	1,064	38	0	3.6

Notes:
1.Due to small numbers, the calculation of the median wait is prone to fluctuation at PCT and SHA level.
2.Care should be taken when interpreting these figures.
3.Waiting times apply to consultant-led appointments only. Services in many areas are now run by multi-disciplinary teams.
4.PCTs came into existence from April 2002.
Source:
Department of Health form QM08R

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