---

29 Jan 2009 : Column 751W—continued

29 Jan 2009 : Column 752W

Out - patients seen
	PCT	Median waiting times (weeks)
2002-2003	Bebington and West Wirral	7.5
	Birkenhead and Wallasey	7.6
	Central Liverpool	7.5
	Halton	4.9
	Knowsley	7.3
	North Liverpool	7.5
	South Liverpool	7.3
	South Sefton	7.3
	Southport and Formby	7.7
	St. Helens	6.8
2003-2004	Bebington and West Wirral	6.7
	Birkenhead and Wallasey	6.7
	Central Liverpool	7.6
	Halton	5.1
	Knowsley	7.1
	North Liverpool	7.1
	South Liverpool	7.6
	South Sefton	7.0
	Southport and Formby	7.6
	St. Helens	7.1
2004-2005	Bebington and West Wirral	6.5
	Birkenhead and Wallasey	6.3
	Central Liverpool	7.7
	Halton	5.7
	Knowsley	7.2
	North Liverpool	7.1
	South Liverpool	7.5
	South Sefton	7.1
	Southport and Formby	7.9
	St. Helens	7.2
2005-2006	Bebington and West Wirral	6.1
	Birkenhead and Wallasey	6.0
	Central Liverpool	7.2
	Halton	5.3
	Knowsley	6.7
	North Liverpool	6.7
	South Liverpool	7.0
	South Sefton	6.5
	Southport and Formby	7.0
	St. Helens	6.5
2006-2007	Halton and St. Helens	5.9
	Knowsley	6.6
	Liverpool	6.4
	Sefton	6.1
	Wirral	4.6

29 Jan 2009 : Column 753W

Out - patients yet to be seen
Month end	PCT	Median waiting times (weeks)
March 2005	Bebington and West Wirral	4.4
	Birkenhead and Wallasey	4.6
	Central Liverpool	5.2
	Halton	4.0
	Knowsley	4.6
	North Liverpool	4.5
	South Liverpool	4.8
	South Sefton	4.6
	Southport and Formby	5.2
	St. Helens	4.3
March 2006	Bebington and West Wirral	3.3
	Birkenhead and Wallasey	3.7
	Central Liverpool	3.9
	Halton	3.4
	Knowsley	4.0
	North Liverpool	3.6
	South Liverpool	3.9
	South Sefton	3.5
	Southport and Formby	3.6
	St. Helens	3.6
March 2007	Halton and St. Helens	3.3
	Knowsley	3.1
	Liverpool	3.2
	Sefton	3.2
	Wirral	2.9
March 2008	Halton and St. Helens	2.1
	Knowsley	2.1
	Liverpool	2.1
	Sefton	2.4
	Wirral	2.2
November 2008	Halton and St. Helens	2.1
	Knowsley	2.6
	Liverpool	2.9
	Sefton	2.7
	Wirral	2.2
Notes: 1. The average waiting times given are estimated from quarterly and monthly Korner returns submitted by health authorities/PCTs to the Department of Health. 2. Data on waiting times for outpatient appointments was first collected in 1997-98. All patients seen by length of time waited was collected, but only a proportion of the patients not seen. The total number of patients still waiting was first collected in 2004-05. Therefore, to give a meaningful time series data for both seens and not seens have been provided where data was collected. Calculating the average on patients not seen is the preferred method, in line with the method for inpatient waits. 3. The figures show the median waiting times for patients waiting for a first consultant outpatient appointment following a general practitioner referral. Figures relating to patients who have been seen are based on quarterly data aggregated to an annual figure, and the figures relating to patients who have yet to be seen are based on a stock month end figure at the end of the year. Calculations are made on aggregate data, rather than patient level data, and therefore are only estimates of the position on average waits. 4. The median, rather than the mean, is the preferred measure for average waiting times. This is because the mean waiting time can be skewed by small numbers of long waiters, and is therefore higher than the median. 5. Figures are shown for organisations in existence at the time.

Medical Records

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what legal advice he has received on the issue of access rights to summary care records. [252282]

Mr. Bradshaw: No legal advice has been sought or received on the specific issue of access rights to summary care records. Summary care records are no different in this respect from any other confidential personal patient information held by national health service organisations. Access rights are set out in statute, most particularly the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Access to Health Records Act 1990.

In the absence of a statutory right of access to information, an individual may only gain access to information where doing so meets the confidentiality requirements established under the common law. Confidentiality requirements are set out in the Department’s
29 Jan 2009 : Column 754W
publication “Confidentiality: NHS Code of Practice (2003)” which was endorsed by the Information Commissioner, the General Medical Council and the Department’s legal advisers. A copy of the publication has been placed in the Library. In line with these requirements, access to summary care record information is only permitted to clinical staff who have a legitimate relationship with the patient for which consent may be implied, for example because they are providing NHS healthcare or treatment, or who have express consent from the patient for other reasons, for example clinical research. Exceptionally, confidential information may be passed to third parties in accordance with certain specific statutory provisions or where required under court order, or where the public interest is such that both the obligations of confidentiality and the competing public interest in the provision of confidential health services need to be overridden.

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money due to each local service provider in respect of delivery of care record systems has been withheld owing to delays in delivery. [252337]

Mr. Bradshaw: National programme for information technology contracts provide for delay deductions to be paid by the local service provider (LSP) should the LSP fail to achieve certain key milestones. Under these arrangements, some £25.875 million has to date been paid by CSC, some of which has been earned back. Delay deductions have not to date been paid by any other LSP, but those that have been assessed for Fujitsu will be factored into the contract termination arrangements.

Mental Health Services: Per Capita Costs

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much is spent per head of population on the provision of mental health services (a) on average and (b) in each primary care trust area in England. [252598]

Phil Hope: The average primary care trust (PCT) per capita expenditure is £167. The average total per capita spend on mental health is £183, as this includes spend by strategic health authorities, special health authorities and the Department. The per capita spends on mental health in each PCT area in England are shown in the following table.

---