§ Mr. Wardasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the present position of waiting lists at hospitals in the Peterborough health district by departments; and what is the average waiting period for in-patient treatment in each category.
§ Mr. MoyleThe number of patients on in-patient waiting lists at 30th June 1978 in hospitials in the Peterborough health district by specialties was as follows:
General Surgery 678 Ear, Nose and Throat 877 Orthopaedics 366 Ophthalmology 56 Oral and Dental Surgery 451 Gynaecology 476 Geriatrics — Information about average waiting periods is not available but the following table gives the numbers of urgent and non-urgent cases awaiting admission to Peterborough health district hospitals at 31st March 1978 (latest available figures):
practitioners so that patients may be given an opportunity to be referred to hospitals with a shorter wait, though further from their homes.
§ Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the average waiting times for operations in different specialities in the Harlow health district at the present time; and what were the equivalent figures one year and two years ago, respectively.
§ Mr. MoyleThe information is not available in the form requested. The 431W following table gives the latest figures available for the numbers on in-patients
Specialty 30th September 1975 30th September 1976 30th September 1977 General Medicine … — 2 2 Paediatrics … — 1 — Neurology … — 1 2 Rheumatology … 4 5 12 Geriatrics … 38 19 13 General Surgery … 471 (35) 830 (102) 809 (86) Ear, Nose and Throat … 672 (259) 750 (253) 575 (339) Traumatic/Orthopaedic … 306 (24) 400 (25) 438 (46) Ophthalmology … 147 (31) 183 (41) 153 (14) Dental Surgery … 348 (21) 430 657 Gynaecology … 39 61 71 Mental Illness … 3 — — Total … 2,028 (370) 2,682 (421) 2,732 (485) Figures in brackets indicate the number of patients (non-urgent cases) who had been waiting for more than one year.