To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23466 by Mr Andy Kerr on 3 March 2006, how many out-patients on the out-patient waiting list had an availability status code at each census date for which information is available, expressed also as a percentage of all out-patients on the list.
The information requested isshown in the table.
Since2004, Information Services Division (ISD) has collected data on a national basiscomprising an out-patient waiting list. This is a monthly census which includesinformation on all patients waiting to be seen at consultant-led out-patient clinics,following referral by a General Medical or Dental Practitioner. The first censusdata published was the out-patient waiting list on 30 September 2004, and over theensuing months, ISD worked, and continues to work, closely with NHS boards to improvedata quality.
Inthe first few months following the first publication, many clinics did not havecomputerised waiting lists, and some NHS board areas submitted manual aggregatecounts for some specialties that did not record availability status codes. Two NHSboards were not able to submit any data. Although data quality has now improvedconsiderably, monthly comparison of outpatients with availability status codes mustbe undertaken with caution.
Althoughthe percentage of patients on the waiting list with availability status codes hasincreased slightly between 30 September 2004 and 31 December 2005, it is important to note that the totalnumber of patients on the waiting list has reduced dramatically in this period -by 29%.
Availability Status Codes forfirst out-patient appointments are all patient-driven - patients who declined areasonable offer of an appointment and patients who did not attend for a pre-arrangedappointment and gave no warning of their non-attendance.
NHSScotland. Total Number ofPatients on The Out-Patient Waiting List and Number and Percentage of Patients withAvailability Status Codes on Each Monthly Census Date – 30 September 2004 to 31December 2005
Census Date | Total Number Of Patients On List | Number And Percentage Of Patients With Availability Status Codes |
30 September 2004 | 249,654 | 18,254 | 7.3% |
31 October 2004 | 248,482 | 15,042 | 6.1% |
30 November 2004 | 243,721 | 15,173 | 6.2% |
31 December 2004 | 231,105 | 16,127 | 7.0% |
31 January 2005 | 220,560 | 15,782 | 7.2% |
28 February 2005 | 199,141 | 15,103 | 7.6% |
31 March 2005 | 202,390 | 17,392 | 8.6% |
30 April 2005 | 209,420 | 16,866 | 8.1% |
31 May 2005 | 210,178 | 17,656 | 8.4% |
30 June 2005 | 209,226 | 18,715 | 8.9% |
31 July 2005 | 201,362 | 17,330 | 8.6% |
31 August 2005 | 213,745 | 17,353 | 8.1% |
30 September 2005 | 210,087 | 17,001 | 8.1% |
31 October 2005 | 201,517 | 17,828 | 8.8% |
30 November 2005 | 191,123 | 18,170 | 9.5% |
31 December 2005 | 177,339 | 18,633 | 10.5% |