Chamber and committees

Limited information is available on the number of in-patient/day case episodes where operations/procedures were not carried out following admission. Table 1 shows information on the number of inpatient and day case episodes where operations/procedures were cancelled following admission for calendar years 2000-04, and the number of patients who were not subsequently admitted to hospital for an operation within 30 days of discharge. It is not possible to identify on what day the operation was cancelled.

Table 1 - Cancelled operations^1,2,3

Source: SMR01.

^PProvisional.

Notes:

1. These statistics are derived from data collected on inpatient and day case discharges in Scotland.

2. Patients whose operations were cancelled are identified using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Other Health Related Problems, tenth revision (ICD10) code Z53 - Persons encountering health services for specific procedures, not carried out. However, it should be noted that the use of this code may vary from hospital to hospital.

3. No information is available on the intended type of operation when an operation is cancelled. The “no operation” within 30 days figures are calculated by checking there was not an operation (any code) within 30 days of discharge from hospital.

Operations can be cancelled due to various unforeseen pressures. Some examples of these are; an influx of emergency admissions, widespread staff sickness, theatre equipment failure or infection in wards.

On occasions, some patients may be sent home, following admission, when a planned procedure/operation has not been carried out. Some reasons for this include; patient being unfit for treatment due to illness (e.g. chest infection), having omitted to fast before admission, failing to follow pre-admission advice on medication or where theatre time is unavailable due to unexpected complications arising in earlier theatre cases.

In setting out my initial response to David Kerr’s report on the future shape of the NHS in Scotland, I made it clear that I supported his proposals that we should stream planned care, separating it, where possible, from emergency care. I have asked the Regional Planning Groups to develop arrangements for streaming planned care that will reduce cancellations, increase predictability and workflow and reduce waiting times.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-9973 answered on 9 September 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Some fire and rescue services have altered fire station premises or relocated stations within the same local area. Those changes have not reduced the level of fire cover provided and are therefore not included in the above table. A significant number of those changes have involved the enhancement of existing premises and consequent improvements in fire cover.

Note: *As the data used is asnapshot at particular dates, the rates for the last full year (in this case 2000-01)will be inflated. This is because, at the snapshot date, there will still be a proportionwho haven’t completed the course but will have done so when the next set of datais available.

Injuriesand their causes are recorded on hospital discharge data using the World HealthOrganization’s International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD10).

ICD10can identify “place of occurrence” for incidents resulting in injury but the categorythat includes “seaside” (e.g. beach, sea, seashore) also applies to a range of otherlocations, 27 in total. Examples of other locations captured by the same ICD10 codeinclude: canal, caravan site, hill, mountain and railway line.

Central statistical returns cannotexplicitly identify “seaside” from the 27 locations.

Section B gives details of allmedical and dental staff employed in NHS Scotland. In particular, tables B11 andB12 show the whole-time equivalent (WTE) and headcount number of psychiatric consultantvacancies for years 2003 and 2004, broken down by NHS board area. Latest availablefigures are at 30 September 2004.