§ 18. Mr. LivseyTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many out-patients in Wales were on hospital waiting lists in December 1987 for (a) hip replacement operations, and (b) cateract operations; and what were the corresponding figures for December 1986.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Mr. Ian Grist)Waiting list information held by the Welsh Office is on the basis of specialties, not individual procedures. In the year to March 1987, in-patient waiting lists in Wales in trauma and orthopaedics and ophthalmology decreased by 0.7 and 10.4 per cent. respectively.
§ Mr. LivseyIs the Minister aware that some of my constituents have been waiting for up to two years for cataract operations? Is that not disgraceful? What will he do about it? Will he allocate more funds for such bread-and-butter operations rather than the high-tech operations?
§ Mr. GristThe hon. Gentleman will know of the £1 million which was made available in the current year and in the preceding year to help with that problem. He will also know of the extra funding which Powys health authority has used to purchase, for instance, operations at the Agnes Hunt hospital for residents of north Powys. It is now looking for similar places to purchase for residents of south Powys.
§ Sir Anthony MeyerIs my hon. Friend aware of the dependence in north Wales on facilities outside Wales for many operations? Is he aware of the problem at present because of the almost complete closure of the hospital at Gobowen, because of difficulties in the neighbouring health authority? Does he have measures in mind to deal with the problem?
§ Mr. GristThat case is the responsibility of Shropshire health authority and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services. But we are keeping an eye on the matter.