HC Deb 20 July 1977 vol 935 cc619-21W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is the average waiting time nationally for contrast media X-rays; and how this compares with the situation a year ago;

(2) what is the average waiting time nationally for plain X-rays; and how this compares with the situation a year ago.

unemployed persons moving to climatically agreeable resorts, how many persons in Torbay and the eight other local offices in the South-West Region, respectively, have had their entitlement to unemployment benefit withdrawn for up to six weeks because they left their previous jobs voluntarily;

(2) further to his answer to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, South on 8th July 1977, regarding unemployed persons moving to climatically agreeable resorts, how many persons have had their claims to benefit disallowed because they had restricted themselves to an occupation in which they had no reasonable prospects of securing employment in Torbay and the eight other local offices in the South-West Region, respectively; and what were the occupations in question.

Mr. Orme

Information is not available in the form requested. The nine offices, including the Torbay one, referred to in my reply on 8th July were those which deal with supplementary benefit as distinct from unemployment benefit. Further, all claims to unemployment benefit made in the South-West Region are decided by insurance officers stationed at five centres within the region. The available information, covering the three months to 30th June 1977, is as follows:

Mr. Moyle

I regret that statistics of waiting time for X-rays are not maintained on a national basis.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in how many health districts there is no general practitioner access to contrast media X-rays; and if he will list them.

Mr. Moyle

I regret that the information requested is not available. The most recent information available centrally derives from a survey carried out by the General Medical Services Committee in 1968, which indicated that the availability of open access for contrast media investigations varied between 71 per cent.—for intravenous pyelogramsto 84 per cent—for barium meals.

Mr. Austen Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is the average waiting time for plain and media contrast X-rays in the Grimsby Health District;

(2) what is the average time taken for general practitioners to obtain plain X-rays in the Grimsby Health District.

Mr. Moyle

Plain X-rays requested via a consultant's clinic are provided immediately. Those requested by a general practitioner can be obtained within one week for chest and maternity cases and within six weeks for patients suffering from arthritis.

Waiting times for contrast media X-rays are as follows:

Barium meal six months
Barium enema six months
Cholecystogram one week
IVP one week

Forward to