§ 23. Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Minister of Health what is the average waiting time in Great Britain for admission to hospital for cataract operations, varicose vein operations, tonsilectomy, adenoidectomy, for pay bed patients 7 and National Health patients, respectively; and what further steps are being taken to step up the proportion of National Health beds as compared with pay beds.
§ Mr. SnowIn 1966 in England and Wales the median waiting time for hospital admission of National Health Service patients was about 11 weeks for cataract, 12½ weeks for varicose veins and 15 weeks for tonsils and adenoids operations; comparable information about private patients is not available. My right hon. Friend has no plans for a further general review of pay beds at present.
§ Mr. RobertsWould not my hon. Friend agree, however, that this idea of having first-class and second-class patients from the point of view of waiting time is completely alien to the ideology of the type of Health Service which most hon. Members on this side of the House want to build up? Would he agree that ultimately—in the long term if not in the short term—his aim must be to abolish pay beds?
§ Mr. SnowThe general intention of the review on this subject was quite adequately discussed earlier. As regards the local position, which may be of particular interest to my hon. Friend, he will know that there has recently been a small adjustment because of new circumstances and evidence which came to the attention of my right hon. Friend.
§ Mr. MaddanWould the hon. Gentleman explain the difference between the median waiting time which he gave in his Answer and the average waiting time for which his hon. Friend asked?
§ Mr. SnowThe median waiting time is the time waited by the middle case in a group listed in order of the amount of time waited. A large proportion of the cases occur around this point. The median time is not affected by a patient having a long waiting time, and the use of this formula gives more accurate information to the House.