Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many flexible-sigmoidoscopy tests were commissioned by GPs in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14.

The information is not available in the format requested. The total number of flexible-sigmoidoscopy tests undertaken by National Health Service trusts, foundation trusts and independent sector organisations from 2011-12 to 2013-14 is provided in the following table. This national dataset includes all routes of referral for diagnostic tests including general practitioners (GPs), hospital based and other routes of referral. It does not separately identify where the tests were commissioned.

Table: number of flexible-sigmoidoscopy tests, 2011-12 to 2013-14

Source: NHS England monthly diagnostics waiting times and activity

Notes:

1. The data includes all referral routes (i.e. whether the patient was referred by a GP or by a hospital-based clinician or other route) and also all settings (i.e. outpatient clinic, inpatient ward, x-ray department, primary care one-stop centres etc.)