§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average waiting period for persons seeking an appointment with a consultant under the National Health Service in the Macclesfield and Congleton area; and if she will list the figures for each category.
§ Dr. OwenAverages are misleading as patients requiring urgent treatment are seen without delay and waiting times for others vary according to the circumstances of the individual case and the situation in the clinics of the consultants concerned. At the present time the waiting times for non-urgent outpatient consultations at hospitals in the Macclesfield health district in the following specialties are:
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General Medicine 1–3 weeks General Surgery 14–25 weeks Paediatrics 8 weeks Orthopaedics 10–18 weeks
Dermatology 2–4 weeks Geriatrics 5 weeks Ear Nose and Throat 4–18 weeks Ophthalmology 5–14 weeks Dental Surgery 1 week Gynaecology 2–9 weeks Psychiatry 2 weeks