§ Mr. Tierneyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average waiting time for obtaining an outpatient appointment in a psychiatric hospital or in the psychiatric unit of a general hospital in the Birmingham Health Authority area.
§ Dr. OwenThe average waiting time for a non-urgent out-patient appointment varies between health districts from three to seven weeks. Urgent referrals are seen without delay.
§ Mr. Tierneyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the latest figure of patients on Birmingham hospital's waiting lists; and how this compares with each of the last five years.
§ Dr. OwenThe total number of people on waiting lists for admission to Birmingham hospitals at 30th September 1975, the latest date for which figures are available, is shown below, together with the figures at 31st December for the previous five years:
All Birmingham Hospitals Date Total number of people on waiting lists 30th September 1975 … … 20,293 31st December 1974 … … 18,564 31st December 1973 … … 16,975 31st December 1972 … … 17,293 31st December 1971 … … 18,634 31st December 1970 … … 18,632
§ Mr. Tierneyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the deferred out-patient appointments and admissions to Birmingham hospitals arising from the junior doctors' and consultants' disputes have now been cleared.
§ Dr. OwenNo; and it is too early to estimate when waiting times for outpatient appointments and admissions to hospital will be at the levels obtaining prior to the doctors' industrial disputes.