§ Mr. Wallerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total number of persons on the waiting list for treatment in hospitals administered by the Airedale district health authority at the most recent available date; and how this compares with the position 12 months previously.
§ Mr. John PattenThe number of persons on the inpatient waiting list on 30 September 1983 in Airedale district health authority was 2,102 compared with a figure of 1,686 on 30 September 1982.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many ear, nose and throat beds are available at St. Charles' hospital and at St. Mary's hospital, Paddington; how many patients are operated on each week at each hospital; and what is the waiting list at each.
§ Mr. John PattenAt 30 June 1983, the latest date for which information is available centrally, 18 ear, nose and throat beds were available at St. Mary's hospital, W2, with a waiting list of 414. Ear, nose and throat surgery ceased at St. Charles' hospital in February 1983. Information on the number of operations carried out each week is not held centrally.
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§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients are on the waiting list for elective orthopaedic operations at St. Mary's hospital, Paddington; and how many beds are available.
§ Mr. John PattenAt 30 June 1983, the latest date for which information is held centrally, 34 trauma and orthopaedic beds were available and the waiting list was 557.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the plastic surgery unit at St. Charles' hospital, Paddington was closed; how many beds were then lost as a result; where patients requiring plastic surgery are treated in the same district; and how long is the waiting list.
§ Mr. John PattenThe 12-bed plastic surgery ward at St. Charles' was approved for closure in July 1979 by the Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster area health authority (teaching) with the Community Health Council's agreement. Information on the date closure took place is not held centrally. St. Charles' hospital is now managed by Paddington and North Kensington health authority, which has plastic surgery facilities at St. Mary's hospital, W2. At the end of June 1983 the latest date for which information is held centrally, the waiting list was 147.
§ Mr. Tony Lloydasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, if he will provide a table showing the waiting 577W times for operations in each of the major specialties for the North-West regional health authority, including each district health authority within that region, in the years 1978 to 1980.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke[pursuant to his reply, 24 February 1984, column 643]: Information on the estimated waiting time for admission to major surgical specialties in North-Western regional health authority in the years 1978 to 1980 is given in the table. An analysis by area health authority could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
North Western RHA Estimated Median Waiting Time (in weeks) of waiting list cases Surgical Specialty 1978 1979 1980 General Surgery 7 6 5 Ear, Nose and Throat 17 16 12 Orthopaedics 12 12 11 Ophthalmology 14 14 11 Urology 8 7 7 Gynaecology 7 7 7