§ Sir F. Medlicottasked the Minister of Health how many people in England and Wales are awaiting admission to hospital; and what are the figures, region by region.
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§ Mr. R. Thompson434,000 at the end of September, 1957. The waiting lists in teaching and non-teaching hospitals in England and Wales at 30th September, 1957, are as follows:
— Number of persons Total: England and Wales … 434,437 Hospital region:— … Newcastle … 28,282 Leeds … 20,061 Sheffield … 51,960 E. Anglian … 12,977 N.W. Metropolitan … 36,447 N.E. Metropolitan … 26,583 S.E. Metropolitan … 30,089 S.W. Metropolitan … 39,771 Oxford … 17,041 South Western … 28,735 Welsh … 30,547 Birmingham … 41,063 Manchester … 56,734 Liverpool … 14,147
Mrs. Hillasked the Minister of Health (1) how the waiting list of patients at the end of 1956 compared with the waiting list during all the previous years of the National Health Service;
(2) what was the number of patients awaiting admission to hospital at the end of 1955 and at the end of 1956.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithAt the end of 1956 the number of patients awaiting admission to hospital was 431,000, the lowest number recorded since the beginning of the Health Service. Figures for the period 1949 to 1956 are given below:
Number of patients awaiting admission to National Health Service hospitals at 31st December in each year Thousands 1949 … … … … 498 1950 … … … … 531 1951 … … … … 504 1952 … … … … 500 1953 … … … … 526 1954 … … … … 474 1955 … … … … 455 1956 … … … … 431