HC Deb 27 January 1977 vol 924 cc725-6W
Mr. Atkinson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will set out the latest available figures by medical speciality for (a) patients admitted to hospitals managed by the Haringey (London) health district, but resident elsewhere, (b) patients resident in Haringey who have been admitted for treatment to hospitals not managed by the Haringey health district, (c) the districts of residence of patients identified under (a) above, and (d) the health districts responsible for the hospitals to which patients identified under (b) above were admitted, in the cases of Hackney, Islington, North Camden and South Camden, detailing also the hospitals concerned.

Mr. Moyle

Information is not available in the form requested. In 1975 approximately 17,600 patients were discharged from local acute specialties in hospitals managed by Haringey Health District; of these some 9,600 were not resident in the London borough of Haringey. Roughly 10,000 inhabitants of Haringey were discharged from local acute specialties in other hospitals in the same year. I will write to my hon. Friend with an analysis of the data available.

Mr. Atkinson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if there is a unified system throughout all NHS hospitals of identifying for statistical pur- poses the district of residence of all patients being admitted; if any machinery exists for area health authorities to exchange this information for the purpose of co-ordinating the planning of health care services by area and regional health authorities; and if he is satisfied that sufficient attention is given to this particular aspect.

Mr. Moyle

The "Area Code for Recording Place of Residence and Place of Birth" (January 1974) issued by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys is in general use in the National Health Service for identifying patients' district of residence for statistical purposes. This assists regional health authorities to co-ordinate the planning of health care services by their area health authorities, and to exchange information with other authorities for planning purposes. I am not aware of any evidence to suggest that sufficient attention is not given to this particular aspect.