§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people have been admitted for treatment to National Health Service hospitals during each of the last four years.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe returns collected by the Department record discharges and deaths of hospital inpatients, not admissions. The figures for the last four years for which they are available centrally are as follows:
1978 1979 1980 1981 5,370,000 5,400,000 5,670,000 5,760,000
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many patients have attended accident and emergency units during each of the last four years;
(2) how many new patients have attended outpatient departments during each of the last four years;
(3) what is the total number of attendances at outpatient departments for each of the last four years.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe figures for the last four years for which they are available centrally are as follows:
(thousands) 1978 1979 1980 1981 Accident and emergency units Total attendances 13,360 13,219 13,053 13,308 Out-patient departments New attendances 7,712 7,718 7,942 8,025 Out-patient departments Total attendances 33,950 34,132 35,243 35,571