§ 27. Mr. Leeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has as to the total number of patients treated in National Health Service hospitals in 1982 compared to 1978.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe number of individual patients who are treated in National Health Service hospitals is not recorded. In 1981, the latest year for which figures are available centrally, there were 5.76 million discharges and deaths of hospital inpatients, 0.71 million day case attendances, 13.31 million attendances at accident and emergency departments and 35.57 million attendances at outpatient departments in England. This compares with 5.37 million inpatient discharges and deaths, 0.56 million day case attendances, 13.36 million accident and emergency attendances and 33.95 million outpatient attendances in 1978.