Reid lauds NHS treatment centres

Friday, 7 January 2005 12:00 AM

Waiting lists are at the lowest level since comparable records began, according to the Health Secretary John Reid.

And he put this down to the success of the NHS treatment centres, which are seeing some patients up to eight times as fast as the standard NHS.

These centres carry out non-emergency surgery such as cataract and hip operations.

According to new figures released on Friday, in November the waiting list stood at 844,000, down by 13,000 since October. Dr Reid said that this is the lowest number since comparable data was first collected in September 1987.

Of the 120,000 patients seen at the new treatment centres, 10,000 of these were treated at the mobile cataract surgery units. These travel across the UK to areas of need, carrying out about 37 operations a day as opposed to the standard five at standard NHS centres.

Publishing today's progress report on the treatment centres, Dr Reid said: "Treatment centres play an important role in speeding up access to treatment for patients and improving quality of care and patients' experience. This is shown by the mobile cataract chain treating 10,000 patients in less than 11 months - operating at a rate almost 8 times faster than traditional NHS services. This higher rate is achievable because the units are able to concentrate on a single procedure in a modern, purpose built unit.

"But the treatment centre programme is also key in delivering our commitment, outlined in the NHS Plan, to offer patients increased choice. From December 2005, patients in England will be offered a choice of four to five providers at the point that their GP decides treatment is necessary. From December 2008 this choice will be expanded offering patients a free choice of providers."

There are currently 19 NHS-run treatment centres open with a further 17 due to open this year. The private sector is expected to run around 30 additional schemes (operating under NHS contracts) by the end of 2005. It currently operates only three centres.

The Liberal Democrats though expressed doubts about the implications of the centres. Health spokesman Paul Burstow said: "Private treatment centres providing NHS care must offer value for money for the taxpayer. Setting up treatment centres that cream off the easy and profitable cases will leave the NHS to pick up the bill for complex, high cost operations. Patients with more complex conditions must not be left at the back of the queue.

"The test for treatment centres is whether they increase the NHS ability to treat more people. If the centres simply divert operations from existing NHS facilities and increase costs they will have failed."

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