§ Mr. McGuireasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what effect the recently announced improvement scheme at the Ormskirk General Hospital will have on the regional hospital board's plan to build a new hospital at Skelmersdale; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AlisonThe Liverpool Regional Hospital Board has approved the expenditure of approximately £300,000 on urgently needed improvements to Ormskirk General Hospital. The board's planning of future hospital services for the area will not be affected by this interim scheme.
§ Mr. McGuireasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the present average length of time that a person living in the Skelmersdale new town area has to wait to be treated as an in-patient under the National Health Service in any of the following speciali-
PERCENTAGE UNDER 1 MONTH Specialty Ormskirk and District HMC Wigan and Leigh HMC Liverpool RHB Manchester RHB Orthopaedic … 46 65 34 40 General Surgery … 59 37 47 Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery … 6 15 21 Urology … — — 39 Ophthalmology … — 38 29 Neurosurgery … — 100 100 Paediatrics … — 100 40 General Medicine … 50 85 82 Cardiology … — — 16 Dermatology … — — 80 Chest Diseases … — — 100 Geriatrics … 100 88 78 Infectious Diseases … — — 100 Gynaecology and Obstetrics … 21 39 2 190W
PERCENTAGE 1 TO 6 MONTHS Specialty Ormskirk and District HMC Wigan and Leigh HMC Liverpool RHB Manchester RHB Orthopaedic … 44 30 31 39 General Surgery … 27 51 36 Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery … 15 40 28 Urology … — — 37 Ophthalmology … — 35 39 Neurosurgery … — — — Paediatrics … — — 23 General Medicine … 25 15 15 Cardiology … — — 15 Dermatology … — — 20 Chest Diseases … — — — Geriatrics … — 12 12 Infectious Diseases … — — — Gynaecology and Obstetrics … 33 40 39 ties: orthopaedic, general and ENT surgery, urology, ophthalmology, neurosurgery, paediatrics, general medicine, cardiology, dermatology, chest diseases, infectious diseases, geriatrics, gynaecology and obstetrics; and how this compares with the average waiting time in the Livepool and Manchester region and nationally.
§ Mr. AlisonResidents of the Skelmersdale new town area use hospitals in the Ormskirk and District and the Wigan and Leigh Hospital Management Committee areas. Since averages are misleading as waiting times for admissions vary according to the circumstances of the individual case, the following tables show the percentages of patients in each specialty admitted to hospitals in each of the hospital management committee areas, where facilities are available, and the Liverpool and Manchester regions respectively, during the last quarter of 1972 who had waited for admission for under one month, for between one and six months, and for over six months. Comparable national figures are not readily available.
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PERCENTAGE OVER 6 MONTHS Specialty Ormskirk and District HMC Wigan and Leigh HMC Liverpool RHB Manchester RHB Orthapaedic … 10 5 35 21 General Surgery … 14 12 17 Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery … 79 45 51 Urology … — — 24 Ophthalmology … — 27 32 Neurosurgery … — — — Paediatrics … — — 37 General Medicine … 25 — 3 Cardiology … — — 69 Dermatology … — — — Chest Diseases … — — — Geriatrics … — — 10 Infectious Diseases … — — — Gynaecology and Obstetrics … 46 21 19 * Average for all specialties.
§ Mr. McGuireasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the present average length of time that a person living in the Skelmersdale new town area has to wait to be examined under the National Health Service on an out-patient basis by a consultant in the following specialities: orthopaedic, general and ENT surgery, urology, ophthalmology, neurosurgery, paediatrics, general medicine, cardiology, dermatology chest diseases, geriatrics, infectious diseases, gynaecology and obstetrics; and how this compares with the average waiting time in the Liverpool and Manchester region and nationally.
§ Mr. AlisonResidents of Skelmersdale new town attend hospitals in the Ormskirk and Distriot Hospital Management Committee Area and the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary and the Leigh Infirmary. The following table shows as at 31st March 1973, in respect of the former, the average period for which nonurgent patients on the waiting list will have to wait to see a specialist, and in respect of the latter the anticipated waiting time for non-urgent patients in the specialties shown. Similar figures for the other specialties, for the regions as a whole and nationally, are not readily available.
Specialty Ormskirk and District Hospital Management Committee Royal Albert, Edward Infirmary, Wigan and the Leigh Infirmary Orthopaedic 9 weeks 9 weeks General Surgery 4 weeks 5.5 weeks Ear, Nose and Throat 20 weeks 3.5 weeks Ophthalmology 12 weeks 2.5 weeks Paediatrics 6 weeks 2.5 weeks General Medicine 5 weeks 9 weeks Gynaecology and Obstetrics 6 weeks 10 weeks