§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will list the normal waiting time from appointment time to actual examination in each clinic of every out-patients department of all the hospitals in the Manchester Regional Hospital Board area, giving this information in rank order for each type of clinic; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will list the normal waiting period for obtaining appointments to see consultants in each clinic of every outpatients department of all the hospitals in the Manchester Regional Hospital Board area, giving this information in 96W rank order for each type of clinic; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AlisonInformation in the form requested about waiting periods for outpatient appointments and the time waited between appointment and examination is not readily available from hospital records. In all hospitals in the area covered by the Manchester Regional Hospital Board urgent cases are given appointments and seen without delay. The waiting period for other patients varies according to the specialty and the circumstances of the individual case and an average figure would have little meaning.
My Department is currently investigating the waiting periods for out-patient appointments as a follow up to an earlier study in 1968 with a view to issuing further guidance to hospital authorities as appropriate.