§ Mr. Croninasked the Minister of Health (1) what were the total numbers of ear, nose, and throat consultants, registrars, clinical assistants, and house surgeons who were employed in the National Health Service in 1958; and if he will give an approximate estimate of what proportion of their time was devoted to the treatment of affections of the tonsils and adenoids;
(2) how many operations to remove either tonsils or adenoids, or both, were performed in 1958; and how many patients died as a result of these operations:
41W(3) what was the approximate total cost incurred by his Department in 1958 for patients suffering with affections of the tonsils or the adenoids, or both, exclusive of medical salaries.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithThe latest available information about medical staff is as follows:
42W
Medical Staff Holding E.N.T. Appointments at 31st December, 1957 (whole-time equivalents) Consultants 222 Senior Hospital Medical Officers 16 Senior Registrars 33 Registrars 77 Senior House Officers 56 Junior Hospital Medical Officers 6 It is not possible to distinguish time spent on treatment of affections of the tonsils and adenoids.
The great majority of the 178,000 patients treated in 1958 in hospital beds set aside for the surgical treatment of tonsils and adenoids are likely to have had operative treatment. The number who died is not known but provisional figures from the General Register Office indicate that during the year mention of a tonsil and adenoid operation was made on 33 death certificates.
I regret that the cost of treating these patients is not separately identifiable.