§ Mr. Cabornasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the average National Health Service waiting lists in the Sheffield area health authority for the last three years for which figures are available in orthopaedics, gynaecology, general medicine, ear nose and throat, dermatology, general surgery, geriatrics and heart surgery.
§ Mr. John PattenThe available information is given in the table. In general, figures on waiting lists are believed to include a significant proportion of duplicated entries and patients who no longer require treatment. About half of all admissions to hospital are immediate and many of those on waiting lists already have a planned date of admission.
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Sheffield District Health Authority Number of persons on in-patient waiting lists 31 March 30 September 31 December Orthopaedics 1982* 2,999 3,693 3,733 1983 3,739 3,724 3,774 1984 3,527 3,670 †3,509 1985 †3,462 n/a n/a Gynaecology 1982* 1,051 1,717 1,735 1983 1,637 1,357 1,234 1984 1,241 1,248 †1,293 1985 †1,156 n/a n/a General medicine 1982* 20 41 41 1983 22 23 33 1984 21 17 †26 1985 †16 n/a n/a Ear, nose and throat 1982* 650 1,049 1,004 1983 1,015 933 874 1984 799 650 †597 1985 677 n/a n/a Dermatology 1982* 36 18 42 1983 32 10 18 1984 35 20 †13 1985 †9 n/a n/a General surgery 1982* 1,875 2,788 2,643 1983 2,456 2,579 2,468 1984 2,424 2,739 †2,902 1985 †2,581 n/a n/a Geriatrics 1982* 62 85 88 1983 84 54 14 1984 14 10 †87 1985 †nil n/a n/a Thoracic surgery 1982* 162 240 246 1983 234 233 215 1984 233 161 †177 1985 †227 n/a n/a * In general figures were affected by industrial action in the NHS in 1982. † Provisional figures. n/a=Not available.