§ Mr. Simon Mahonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average time spent in private clinics and National Health Service hospitals, respectively, when a patient is aborted; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. John DunwoodyUp to last September the median time was between one and two days in approved places and between five and six days in National Health Service hospitals in England and Wales. As notifications must be made within seven days of the operation, and the length of stays over seven days is therefore not known, no average can be calculated. The length of stay is affected by the clinical decision of the doctor in charge of the case and by the severity of the operation. A higher proportion of complicated cases are treated in National Health Service hospitals.