Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS hospital trusts are not currently meeting the 18-week target in respect of spinal services.

The information requested is not held centrally. Consultant-led referral to treatment waiting times are collected separately for eighteen high volume treatment functions (divisions of clinical work based on main specialty). These treatment functions are listed in the National Health Service Data Dictionary at:

www.datadictionary.nhs.uk/data_dictionary/data_field_notes/t/tr/treatment_function_code_(referral_to_treatment_period)_de.asp?shownav=1

Referral to treatment waiting times for all other treatment functions, including spinal surgery services and spinal injuries, are collected under a single other treatment function, and are not separately identifiable.