§ 2.42 p.m.
§ Lord SANDYSMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they can confirm the report in the Sunday Times of 5th February that 62 per cent. of urgent cases are admitted to hospitals after waiting at least a month.
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, I confirm that the figures of "urgent" cases awaiting hospital admission quoted in the Sunday Times on 5th February last are correct: that is, there were 38,373 patients with conditions classified as "urgent" awaiting admission at 31st March 1977. of whom about 62 per cent. had been waiting for over one month.
§ Lord SANDYSMy Lords, do the Government agree that this is a deplorable situation? What steps do they hope to take to remedy it in view of the fact that these figures are nearly one year old?
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, it is very difficult to give an adequate answer to the noble Lord in a short reply. One has to bear in mind that the incidence of illness among the elderly is very considerable because we have an increasing elderly population. The types of operation now possible are very different, complex and numerous. Today, we are supplying all sorts of "spare parts" surgery, such as replacement hips. A great many operations for orthopaedic conditions are long, involved and expensive.
There are a number of factors which make it difficult to give the noble Lord a satisfactory answer. I would point out that my right honourable friend the Secretary of State recently said that £9½ million would be available to help regional health authorities, through their area health authorities, to come to grips 361 with this particular problem. We have been told that, if there could be renovation of operating theatres, the provision of new operating theatres, restoration of wards and the creation of new wards, it would all help—as indeed it would—to reduce the waiting lists. The sum of £92 million has been made available in the forthcoming year to enable area health authorities to do precisely that.
Baroness WARD of NORTH TYNESIDEMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord if all the area authorities have made representations, and how their claims are going to be met in order to be fair?
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, I am sure that the area represented at one time by the noble Baroness has certainly put its claim in.
§ Lord PLATTMy Lords, is it not a fact that the length of the waiting list varies very much according to the specialty and the hospital, district or region in which the hospital exists? In view of that, would it not be a very good idea if the Department were to get in touch with the chairman of the medical board in hospitals in which the waiting list was particularly long and ask for his comments?
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, who has a vast experience in this field. I agree entirely with what he said in the first part of his question. So far as the second part is concerned, I do not know whether my right honourable friend is in direct touch with the chairmen; I will certainly bring it to his notice. I am grateful for the comment.
§ Lord DERWENTMy Lords, as it has been the policy of the Government to close down certain hospitals—maybe for adequate reasons—is it not a fact that every time a hospital is closed several operating theatres are also closed? That is one of the reasons why people have to wait so long for operations.
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, that is not so. A hospital is not closed unless, first, there is a very good reason 362 for doing so; and, secondly, similar facilities are available at not too great a distance.
§ Lord DERWENTMy Lords, similar facilities but not so many.
§ Baroness EMMET of AMBERLEYMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether any priority is given to surgical cases that are waiting, for those who are in real pain? It is so distressing to hear that somebody in great pain may have to wait over a month to be admitted to hospital.
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, this term "urgent" is very difficult to define. All emergency cases—and, at some period, they could have been "urgent" cases—are admitted immediately and are dealt with. The rest of the urgent cases are dealt with as quickly as possible. There are priorities, and those priorities are determined by the consultant. Where it is possible to hold one case back for another which is more urgent, this is done. Where there is considerable pain, this is a clinical matter on which I could not rule other than to say that, from my own personal knowledge, a good many people who experience pain receive the benefits of modern science to overcome it.
Earl FERRERSMy Lords, does the noble Lord have any figures to show whether this situation regarding urgent cases has become better or worse over the past three or four years?
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, to be perfectly honest, it has fluctuated. It depends on a number of factors which I have tried to explain. We have to bear in mind that there is a considerable pressure on our hospitals. For example, last year over 5¼ million patients were treated as in-patients. That is a number which has never been reached in the past; it is an all-time record. At the same time, 7½ million new out-patients were seen during 1976. In addition to that, there were half a million day cases. There is considerable pressure on the hospitals. To go back to the noble Earl's question, the "urgent" list does fluctuate.