Cancer: Shropshire

Health written question – answered at on 7 April 2010.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Owen Paterson Owen Paterson Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time is for cancer treatments in Shropshire County primary care trust.

Photo of Ann Keen Ann Keen Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Health Services), Department of Health

Statistics on average waiting times between decision to treat and treatment for cancer are not collected centrally.

The cancer waiting time standard of a maximum wait of 31 days from decision to treat, to first cancer treatment was introduced for all patients and all treatment modalities from December 2005. Statistics showing overall performance are published on a quarterly basis on the Department's website at:

www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Statistics/Performancedataandstatistics/HospitalWaitingTimesandListStatistics/CancerWaitingTimes/index.htm

The number and percentage of patients receiving first treatment for cancer within one month of decision to treat, for acute trusts in Shropshire, as at quarter 3 of 2009-10 is shown in the following table.

Trust Number of patients Percentage of patients
Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust 3 100
Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust 325 95.3
Notes:

1. Statistics on average waiting times are not collected centrally. Data shown relate to compliance with the two-month waiting time standard from urgent general practitioner referral for suspected cancer to first treatment.

2. Low number of cases are likely to be explained by the specialist nature of particular trusts which would not normally routinely treat cancer patients. Reported compliance is more prone to fluctuation where numbers are relatively low.

Source:

Cancer Waiting Times database.

Does this answer the above question?

Yes1 person thinks so

No1 person thinks not

Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.