Defence written question – answered at on 22 July 2008.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the waiting list targets for (a) Ministry of Defence hospital units, (b) regional rehabilitation units and (c) Departments of Community Mental Health are; and what progress has been made towards these targets in each year since 2003.
Since financial year (FY) 2006-07 targets for Ministry of Defence hospital units (MDHUs) are for a percentage of patients to attend an outpatients appointment within four weeks of referral by their GP and, with a decision to admit, for a percentage of patients to receive treatment within six weeks; this equates to a 10-week care pathway from referral to treatment for those who need it. The average of targets placed on MDHUs and the actual performance against these targets since 2006-07 and 2007-08 are shown in the following table. Targets for 2008-09 are currently being negotiated with individual NHS hospital authorities that host MDHUs.
Percentage of patients to be seen as an outpatient within four weeks | Percentage of patients to receive treatment within 6 weeks of decision to admit | |||
Target | Actual | Target | Actual | |
2006-07 | 61 | 59 | 56 | 61 |
2007-08 | 67 | 53 | 59 | 59 |
These targets are more stringent than the current NHS target of 18 weeks from GP referral to treatment for 85 per cent. of patients. The contracts MOD holds with MDHU hosting hospitals enables accelerated access for Service patients to rapidly return them to combat effectiveness.
Prior to 2006, targets for outpatients appointments at all MDHUs were for 45 per cent. of patients to be seen within four weeks of GP referral and 90 per cent. within 13 weeks. Following a decision to admit for treatment, the target was for 80 per cent. of patients to be treated within 13 weeks; this equates to a total care pathway of between 17 and 26 weeks from referral to treatment for those who needed it.
Percentage of patients to be seen as an outpatient within four weeks | Percentage of patients to be seen as an outpatient within 13 weeks | Percentage of patients to receive treatment within 13 weeks of decision to admit | ||||
Target | Actual | Target | Actual | Target | Actual | |
2003-04 | 45 | 46 | 90 | 87 | 80 | 77 |
2004-05 | 45 | 46 | 90 | 93 | 80 | 75 |
2005-06 | 45 | 46 | 90 | 93 | 80 | 74 |
Regional rehabilitation unit targets since 2006 are that, from point of referral, 100 per cent. of patients should attend an RRU within 10 working days; in the majority of cases this target is being met. Areas exceeding the target time are those experiencing high operational tempo (RRUs situated near to or within garrisons with a large numbers of troops returning from deployment); waiting times in these cases can be up to 15 days. Implementation of the recommendations of the recent Rehabilitation Review, which reported in May 2008, will re-balance resources to address this.
Prior to the creation of the RRUs in 2005 the policy was that following an assessment by a GP or physiotherapist that a patient commenced treatment within seven days.
Departments of Community Mental Health targets (DCMH) since 2004 are for 100 per cent of urgent cases to receive an appointment the next working day and for 100 per cent. of routine cases to be seen within 20 working days; these targets are being met, except in circumstances where the patient does not attend the arranged appointment. In addition, the target for access to in-patient care is four hours if deemed an emergency by Community Mental Health Units.
I am unable to provide information on performance for RRUs and DCMHs for the years prior to those shown above as records are not readily available and it would incur disproportionate cost to produce data.
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