§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has yet received the report on the study of numbers and needs of disabled people by Professor Michael Warren and Mrs. Rose Knight of the health services research unit of the University of Kent.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisI have received the report. It will be published shortly and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House. Professor Warren and Mrs. Knight have my appreciation and warm congratulations as the authors of what is clearly a report of the greatest importance, both for the statutory authorities and disabled people themselves. I am arranging for copies of the report to be sent to all directors of social services, to all health authorities and to a wide range of voluntary organisations.
I have no doubt that the report will be of much help to local authorities and will
Urgent Non-Urgent Up to one month Over one month Under a year Over a year General Surgery … … — — 546 80 Ear, Nose and Throat … … — — 739 48 Orthopaedics … … 8 1 339 17 Ophthalmology … … — — 49 — Oral and Dental Surgery … … — — 303 137 Gynaecology … … 1 — 435 55 Geriatrics … … — — 2 —
§ Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if any under-utilised hospital accommodation or provisions within the inner London area can be used to relieve Essex and other area health authorities faced with lengthening waiting lists for operations and other forms of hospital treatment; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MoyleGeneral practitioners are free to refer patients to any hospital. My Department's policy is that, wherever appropriate, selected waiting list information should be exchanged between hospitals and made available to general
430Wintensify interest in improving methods of identifying and helping disabled people. It should also serve as a useful guide to authorities about the validity of their known prevalence rates.