§ Mr. Kirkwoodasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many district health authorities are unable to perform elective orthopaedic surgery; and if he will give a comparable list for 1979.
§ Mr. NewtonDuring 1985, the latest year for which information is available centrally, and in 1979, Halton 103W district health authority was the only district health authority without beds available in the specialty of traumatic and orthopaedic surgery. Mersey regional health authority's provisional decision is to include 32 traumatic and orthopaedic beds in phase III of Halton district general hospital planned for 1992. Currently, Halton residents look towards Chester, St. Helens and Knowsley, Warrington and Liverpool district health authorities for provision of orthopaedic services.
There may also be limited periods when, for short-term reasons, other authorities are unable to perform elective orthopaedic surgery.