HC Deb 22 July 1980 vol 989 cc611-2W
26. Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are currently awaiting operations for heart complaints in the Macclesfield area.

Dr. Vaughan

There are no cardiac surgery facilities in the Macclesfield health district. This specialty is organised on a regional basis and, for the Mersey regional health authority, is provided in Liverpool. However, because of historic links, Macclesfield patients are normally referred to the unit in Manchester in the neighbouring North-Western regional health authority. The place of residence of patients on the waiting list is not known centrally; the number of Macclesfield patients on the list could be obtained by the health authority only at considerable expense.