§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he has taken to encourage the practice of patients awaiting urgent operations being treated by specialists in other area health authorities or other regions where waiting times are lower.
§ Mr. MoyleHealth authorities are encouraged to develop their services so as to reflect local circumstances and needs, and the Department's resource allocation policies are directed towards achieving a fairer geographical balance. Guidance to health authorities by my Department encourages the practice of making available to general practitioners information that would enable them to refer patients to hospitals with a shorter wait within the district or area and, where appropriate, within the region. The dissemination to general practitioners of such information as between regions would be practically difficult but general practitioners may refer patients to hospitals in other regions if they consider this appropriate.