§ Mrs. Helen JacksonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many small orthopaedic specialised hospital units have been closed in the past two years.
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§ Mr. SackvilleThis information is not available centrally.
§ Mrs. Helen JacksonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what research she has commissioned on the effect of the closure of small hospital units that specialise in orthopaedics on waiting times for hip or knee replacements.
§ Mr. SackvilleNone. The patients charter guarantees that all patients waiting for hip or knee replacement operations will be treated within a maximum of 18 months. Latest waiting time figures show that the number of orthopaedic patients waiting more than a year fell by over 45 per cent. in the year to September 1992.