Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out, with statistical information relating as closely as possible to the constituency, the effect on Chorley of his Department's policies and actions since 1997.

Miss Melanie Johnson (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Health; Welwyn Hatfield, Labour)

The Government have put in place a programme of national health service investment and reform since 1997 to improve service delivery in all parts of the United Kingdom. There is significant evidence that these policies have yielded considerable benefits for the Chorley constituency. For example:

At the end of November 2004, the number of people waiting more than nine months for in-patient treatment within Chorley and South Ribble Primary Care Trust (PCT) had fallen to zero, from 247 in June 2002.

At the end of September 2004, the number of patients waiting over 13 weeks for out-patient treatment within Chorley and South Ribble PCT had fallen to 362, from 1,655 in June 2002.

Figures for December 2004 show that all patients within Chorley and South Ribble PCT are able to be offered an appointment with a primary care professional within two working days, an improvement from 54.5 per cent, in June 2002.

Chorley and South Ribble PCT's financial allocation increased to £188.2 million for 2004–05, a real terms increase of 6.9 per cent. This will increase to £266.7 million in 2007–08.

In June 2003, at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, 92.5 per cent., of patients spent less than four hours in accident and emergency from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge. Figures for September 2004 show an improvement to 97.1 per cent.

Between September 2002 and June 2004, the number of consultants at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has increased from 167 to 170.

In the Chorley local authority (LA) area, death rates from cancer per 100,000 population have fallen from 218.1 in 1997 to 174.4 in 2003.

In the Chorley LA area, death rates from coronary heart disease per 100,000 population have fallen to 128.6 in 2003, from 194.3 in 1997.

In April 2003, a new £700,000 dermatology and diabetes centre opened at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital.

In 2002, a new £1.6 million 30 bed medical ward was opened at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital.

A replacement computed tomography scanner was delivered to Royal Preston Hospital in November 2002.

The Royal Preston Hospital has received two additional linear accelerators; one in August 2001 and another in January 2002.

Sources:

Department of Health. Office for National Statistics.