§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients with conditions classified as urgent were awaiting admission to National Health Service hospitals in England in December 1977, December 1978, June 1979 and the latest date for which figures are available; and whether he can estimate at each date how many had to wait for more than one month for treatment.
§ Dr. VaughanFigures showing the number of patients separately classified as waiting for " urgent" admission to National Health Service hospitals in England are not collected in December or June. The information for the closest dates for which figures are available is as follows:
September 1977 40,000 of whom 25,000 had waited over one month. September 1978 44,000 of whom 29,000 had waited over one month. March 1979 53,000 of whom 35,000 had waited over one month. September 1979* 49,000 of whom 34,000 had waited over one month. *Latest date for which information is available. Figures are provisional. About half of all hospital admissions are emergencies and do not form part of the waiting list statistics.
§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients were awaiting admission to National Health Service hospitals in England in December and June of each year from and including 1973, and the latest date for which figures are available.
§ Dr. VaughanThe information is as follows:
NUMBER OF PEOPLE (THOUSANDS) AWAITING IN-PATIENT ADMISSION, ENGLAND 1973 June 542 1973 December 509 1974 June 508 1974 December 517 1975 June 533 1975 December 588 1976 June 583 1976 December 607 1977 June 595 1977 December 602 1978 June 609 1978 December 682 1979 June 740 1979 September* 698 *Latest date for which information is available. Figures are provisional.