§ The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
§ How the statistics for the acute hospital sector are compiled.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Lord Skelmersdale)My Lords, the centrally-available statistics provide information about acute sector inpatients and day cases and are compiled by tabulating coded data of around 7 million anonymised hospital records. Those on waiting lists and hospital facilities such as beds and operating theatres are compiled from forms submitted quarterly or annually by hospitals or health authorities.
§ The Countess of MarMy Lords, the noble Lord will be aware that I have asked a number of Questions which rely on hospital statistics. Perhaps I may give the reason for my concern.
§ The Countess of MarMy Lords, would the Minister mind if I gave the reason for my concern? The statistics that he gave me about operations and waiting lists at Worcester Royal Infirmary vary much from the statistics taken from the operating theatre books. For example, in 1983 the Minister said that 650 operations had been carried out, whereas there were 874. He could not give me any figures for 1987.
§ The Countess of MarMy Lords, in fact there were only 490 operations carried out.
§ The Countess of MarMy Lords, is it not important that the statistics gathered are accurate in order that planning for facilities for various hospitals may be carried out with some degree of accuracy? Can he give any assurance that the new system for statistical analysis will be more efficient and therefore more effective with regard to patient treatments?
§ Lord SkelmersdaleMy Lords, the Körner system will indeed be considerably more authoritative and also faster because of computerisation. The computerisation has been delayed by about a year for the proving of the software package which is why matters are not so far advanced as the Government would like. On changes in statistics, I cannot give a reason for hospital theatre statistics being changed. However, statistics in most cases have to be revalued 1586 before they are put together to form a national statistic base.
§ Lord EnnalsMy Lords, is the Minister aware that consultants throughout the country are very concerned about the financial situation affecting their districts? Bearing in mind the statistics which have just been given by the noble Countess, is the Minister prepared to withdraw a statement that he made on 9th November that an orthopaedic surgeon, Mr. John Guy, in Worcester Royal Infirmary made a statement which misrepresented the situation? Is he aware that the facts that the noble Countess has given substantiate the claims made by the consultant at that time? Is he aware that the consultant much resented the allegation made by the Minister that he was misrepresenting the situation?
§ Lord SkelmersdaleMy Lords, I do not have in front of me the details of that exchange in your Lordships' House. However, now that it has been drawn to my attention I shall look into it and apologise in writing to the surgeon concerned if I find that it is necessary. However, the important factor is the services to patients and whether we are becoming a healthier or a sicker nation as a result of the changes that have been taking place in the health service. I have a whole raft of examples on that but the most telling one is that the expectation of life for both males and females is now over four years more at birth than it was in the 1950s, and two years more at birth than it was in the mid-1970s.
§ The Countess of MarMy Lords, the noble Lord has just said that the statistics are improving. Can he say whether account has been taken of the fact that, for example, fractures of the neck of the femur are three times more prevalent in the elderly than the growth in the elderly population, and that they are taking up a lot of hospital beds?
§ Lord SkelmersdaleMy Lords, there is also a longer experience and expectancy of life among the elderly. The number of hip replacement operations has almost doubled since 1974 as a result.