§ Rev. Martin Smythasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table showing for each district of the Eastern health and social services board, the number of people on waiting lists for each specialty for the last three years for which figures are available, together with the average length of time a patient had to wait.
§ Mr. Chris Patten[pursuant to his reply, 17 July 1985]: Information in respect of the numbers of people is given in the following tables. Since the average length of time spent on a waiting list does not give a true picture of the distribution of waiting time, the tables give a breakdown of the total waiting list by time spent on the list.
Figures for 1982 are incomplete due to industrial action in the health service.
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Speciality 0–3 months Over 3 months up to 6 months Over 6 months up to 1 year Over 1 year up to 2 years Over 2 yean up to 3 years Over 3 years Total 1981 113 58 32 29 37 70 339 Plastic surgery 1983 159 181 348 505 280 172 1,645 1982 236 210 418 417 189 148 1,618 1981 215 153 340 337 139 219 1,403 Trau + orth surgery 1983 6 2 1 — — — 9 1982 6 1 — 1 2 — 10 1981 12 2 6 8 8 7 43 Ent 1983 82 19 25 17 17 25 185 1982 135 38 21 34 28 29 285 1981 149 40 56 39 32 19 335 Cardiology 1983 84 — — — — — 84 1982 38 — — — — — 38 1981 586 — — — — — 586 Gynaecology 1983 168 — — — — — 168 1982 77 — — — — — 77 1981 135 — — — — — 135 Geriatric medicine 1983 21 12 47 41 38 1 160 1982 28 13 44 67 20 35 207 1981 43 14 36 27 25 32 177
District: Lisburn Length of time on waiting list Speciality 0–3 months Over 3 months up to 6 months Over 6 months up to 1 year Over 1 year up to 2 years Over 2 years up to 3 years Over 3 years Total General surgery 1983 83 65 35 — — — 183 1982 135 31 11 4 — — 181 1981 91 34 60 23 — 6 214 Ent 1983 47 1 3 — — — 51 1982 50 11 8 4 — — 73 1981 62 7 7 10 7 17 110 Dentistry 1983 — 5 — — — — 5 1982 6 — — — — — 6 1981 4 — — — — — 4 Gynaecology 1983 62 2 — — — — 64 1982 62 4 — — — — 66 1981 97 14 43 — — — 154
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District: North Down and Ards Length of time on waiting list Specialty 0–3 months Over 3 months up to 6 months Over 6 months up to 1 year Over 1 year up to 2 years Over 2 years up to 3 years Over 3 years Total General surgery 1983 290 25 9 — — — 324 1982 278 3 3 6 — — 290 1981 307 37 43 8 — — 395 Ear, Nose and Throat 1983 130 63 11 5 2 — 211 1982 39 34 21 27 — — 121 1981 128 15 36 32 9 — 220
Specialty 0–3 months Over 3 months up to 6 months Over 6 months up to 1 year Over 1 year up to 2 years Over 2 years up to 3 years Over 3 years Total Ophthalmology 1983 23 — — — — — 23 1982 11 — — — — — 11 1981 21 4 — — — — 25 Gynaecology 1983 270 23 19 6 — — 318 1982 93 51 61 13 — — 218 1981 212 38 30 5 — — 285 Geriatric medicine 1983 48 34 38 45 20 12 197 1982 46 24 23 31 3 10 137 1981 35 21 40 13 12 6 127
District: North and West Belfast Length of time on waiting list Specialty 0.3 months Over 3 months up to 6 months Over 6 months up to 1 year Over 1 year up to 2 years Over 2 years up to 3 years Over 3 years Total General medicine 1983 4 4 — 3 7 1 19 1982 9 — 4 8 2 — 23 1981 7 — — 1 — — 8 Neurology 1983 29 — — — — — 29 1982 40 — — — — — 40 1981 34 — — — — — 34 Rheumatology 1983 5 2 3 — 5 — 15 1982 — — — 5 — — 5 1981 1 2 2 — — — 5 Dermatology 1983 — — — — — — — 1982 — — — — — — — 1981 7 — — — — — 7 Cardiology 1983 26 16 46 40 30 93 251 1982 37 19 36 46 45 60 243 1981 19 36 17 51 21 43 187 General Surgery 1983 479 188 209 292 149 263 1,580 ║1982 273 215 236 198 101 93 1,116 1981 490 211 199 240 78 159 1,377 Plastic Surgery 1983 105 120 124 146 34 35 564 1982 131 68 162 103 34 41 539 1981 135 74 97 94 46 43 489 Thoracic surgery 1983 1 7 12 32 8 17 77 1982 1 13 28 11 5 13 71 1981 8 3 6 5 11 5 38
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District: North and West Belfast Length of time on waiting list Specialty 0–3 months Over 3 months up to 6 months Over 6 months up to 1 year Over 1 year up to 2 years Over 2 years up to 3 years Over 3 years Total Cardiac surgery 1983 39 26 67 101 56 155 444 1982 23 36 72 61 51 112 355 1981 26 38 36 57 39 80 276
Specialty 0–3 months Over 3 months up to 6 months Over 6 months up to 1 year Over 1 year up to 2 years Over 2 years up to 3 years Over 3 years Total Neurosurgery 1983 4 1 2 3 6 32 48 1982 3 4 8 5 5 28 53 1981 1 — 6 4 4 24 39 ENT 1983 400 88 55 43 24 37 647 1982 215 44 73 81 21 46 480 1981 338 46 71 55 29 65 604 Ophthalmology 1983 409 215 234 77 12 28 975 1982 331 207 139 29 15 18 739 1981 323 78 60 29 13 33 536 Dentistry 1983 207 149 305 393 221 — 1,275 1982 251 178 353 399 162 — 1,343 1981 322 147 214 214 45 — 942 Gynaecology 1983 116 6 1 — — — 123 1982* 142 4 2 — — — 148 1981 137 15 5 2 — — 159 Paediatric medicine 1983 9 — — — — — 9 1982 9 — — — — — 9 1981 — — — — — — — Other specialist units 1983 3 1 2 4 11 — 21 1982 1 — 2 16 — — 19 1981 1 7 9 — — — 17 * Figures do not include those on waiting list for Mater Hospital.
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District: South Belfast Length of lime on waiting list Specialty 0–3 months Over 3 months up to 6 months Over 6 months up to 1 year Over 1 year up to 2 years Over 2 years up to 3 years Over 3 years Total Rheumatology 1983 32 — — — — — 32 1982 29 23 — — — — 52 1981 3 — — — — — 3 Dermatology 1983 2 — — — — — 2 1982 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1981 2 — — — — — 2 Cardiology 1983 72 6 4 3 1 — 86 1982 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1981 38 2 3 1 — — 44 Nephrology 1983 5 — — 1 — — 6 1982 — — — — — — — 1981 10 — — — — — 10 General surgery 1983 325 188 150 165 71 87 986 1982* 67 25 43 21 6 11 173 1981 320 110 73 59 57 40 659 Trau + orth surgery 1983 828 585 1,026 1,220 664 1,556 5,879 1982*‡ 624 523 799 831 603 1,616 4,996 1981 718 496 817 726 706 1,348 4,811 ENT 1983 150 20 15 7 — — 192
Specialty 0–3 months Over 3 months up to 6 months Over 6 months up to I year Over 1 year up to 2 years Over 2 years up to 3 years Over 3 years Total 1982 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1981 353 168 124 30 — — 675 Ophthalmology 1983 42 — — — — — 42 1982 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1981 39 — — — — — 39 Gynaecology 1983‡ 239 27 19 44 25 — 354 1982 127 9 5 1 — — 142 1981 252 21 9 — — — 282 Geriatric medicine 1983 26 11 19 16 7 4 83 1982 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1981 19 17 27 6 4 4 77 * Figures do not include those on waiting list for Belfast City Hospital. † No breakdown of the waiting list for Musgrave Park Hospital. ‡ Figures do not include those on waiting list for Belfast City and Musgrave Park Hospitals. .. Figures not available due to industrial action.