HC Deb 29 October 1979 vol 972 c446W
Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what surgical specialty has (a) the longest waiting list, with numbers, and (b) the longest waiting time, with average length of wait.

Sir George Young

The surgical specialty with the largest number of people awaiting in-patient admission to National Health Service hospitals in England on 31 March 1979 was general surgery, with 195,845 people on the list.

Average waiting times by specialty are not available.