HC Deb 29 April 1974 vol 872 cc358-60W
Mr. Redmond

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average length of time a patient waits for a bed in a Bolton hospital; and whether any specific complaints, such as tuberculosis, bronchitis, etc., entail a longer wait than the general average.

Dr. David Owen

Waiting times for admission vary according to the specialty, and average figures have little meaning. Patients requiring urgent treatment are admitted without delay.

The following were the waiting times by specialties in February 1974 for hospitals in the Bolton area. There is no waiting list for tuberculosis patients; bronchitis is included in general medicine.

Mr. Redmond

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many hospital beds are available in treatment

Average Daily Number of Available Beds Average Daily Bed Occupancy Percentage Occupancy
GENERAL MEDICINE
Bolton Royal Infirmary 22.9 18.5 80.8
Bolton District General Hospital 122.5 98.7 80.6
Wilkinson Hospital 24.0 10.0 41.7
PAEDIATRICS
Bolton District General Hospital 44.9 20.6 45.9
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Hutton Hospital 10.0 8.0 80.0
CHEST DISEASES
Wilkinson Hospital 23.0 5.6 24.3
GERIATRICS
Bolton District General Hospital 52.5 37.7 71.8
Wilkinson 6.0 9.8 163.3
Hulton 116.6 113.6 97.4
Townleys Branch (District General Hospital) 167.0 156.3 93.6
Fall Birch 44.0 43.4 98.6

Mr. Redmond

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the latest available cost per week of providing a bed in hospitals in Bolton; how this cost is calculated; and what percentage of the cost is attributable to nurses' pay.

Name of Hospital Type of Hospital Number of occupied beds Cost per In-Patient week Percentage of nursing pay
£
Bolton District General Acute 426 72.23 22
Bolton District General:
Townleys Branch Long Stay 367 41.96 38
Bolton Royal Infirmary Acute 192 87.10 20
Hulton Hospital Bolton Mainly Long Stay 112 43.90 43
Haslam Maternity Home, Bolton Maternity 11 93.53 49
Havercroft Maternity Home, Bolton Maternity 9 105.91 52
Heaton Maternity Home, Bolton Maternity 9 98.71 53
Wilkinson Hospital, Bolton TB and Chest 32 54.13 39
Fall Birch Hospital, Lostock Geriatric 43 31.73 48
Newlands Nursing Home, Bolton Acute 18 81.40 45
Edmond Potter Hospital, Bolton Pre-convalescent 30 37.56 49
Blair Hospital, Bromley Cross Pre-convalescent 38 43.98 49

The cost per in-patient week is obtained by dividing total hospital expenditure—including medical, nursing, para-medical, hotel and maintenance services and associated expenses—by the number of in-patient weeks at the hospital concerned.

In the table the percentage of nursing pay is that attributable to nurses directly employed in the in-patient wards, that is to say, it excludes nursing expenses chargeable to outpatient departments and supporting services such as pathology departments

wards of Bolton hospitals; and what was the percentage occupancy at a recent convenient date.

Dr. David Owen

The figures given show averages for medical beds for the calendar year 1973, as compiled at 31st December 1973:

Dr. David Owen

The latest available costs are those for the financial year ended 31st March 1973, during which year hospitals in Bolton were administered by Bolton and District Hospital Management Committee. The costs per week in these hospitals were:

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