Day surgery can offer better value for money

Audit Scotland said trusts were below the targets for 12 out of 19 day surgery procedures.

These included squint corrections and removal of breast lumps.

The report found that the percentage of day surgery cases varied across the country with Argyll and Clyde, Tayside and Grampian having the lowest rates.

Less stressful

Audit Scotland said an extra 5,700 procedures could be carried out each year if Scotland's trusts reached the targets set in 1998.

It said Scotland had lower day surgery rates than England and though patient numbers were rising the rate of increase had "slowed considerably".

Day surgery can be less stressful for patients, help cut hospital waiting lists, drive down the level of hospital acquired infection, reduce cancellations and offer better value for money.

Deputy auditor general Caroline Gardner said: "Some trusts may have reached their optimum level of day surgery, but other could do more to develop day surgery as an alternative to inpatient care."

Patients should get the right treatment for their needs, whether that is inpatient, day case or outpatient care. Caroline Gardner Deputy Auditor General

The Audit Scotland report found that the percentage of day surgery cases varied considerably across Scotland in 2002/03 and was "greater than can be explained by location or differences in patients' circumstances".

Lothian and Fife achieved 70% of the targets while Argyll and Clyde, Tayside and Grampian achieved less than 25% of the targets.

Ms Gardner said: "We'd like to see NHS boards monitoring the levels of day surgery and taking action where day case rates are low.

"Patients should get the right treatment for their needs, whether that is inpatient, day case or outpatient care."

According to the NHS's Information and Statistics Division (ISD) an inpatient breast lump removal operation costs �1266 compared with �511 for a day surgery procedure.