Hospital Waiting Times (Hansard, 10 May 1983)

§ Mrs. Dunwoody
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the mean waiting times for hospital treatment for each of the last 10 years as assessed by the annual 10 per cent. sample survey of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.

§ Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg
The available information is given in the table. Figures for 1980 and later years are not yet available.
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England and Wales

Year Mean waiting time for patients treated in NHS hospitals^*

1970 14.7

1971 14.1

1972 11.4

1973 14.2

1974 14.0

1975 14.3

1976 16.0

1977 16.0

1978 15.3

1979 17.7

^* Excluding psychiatric and maternity cases.

§ Mrs. Dunwoody
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people were on hospital waiting lists for (a) renal failure treatment, (b)geriatric care, (c) mental

Percentage of Courses of Dental Treatment^* provided to exempt patients† Percentage of Optical Prescriptions dispensed under exemption arrangements¶ Percentage of Prescriptions dispensed under exemption arrangements•

1972–73 Not readily available Not available Not available

1973–74 Not readily available Not available [55.1]▀

1974–75 42.8‡ Not available [57.1]▀⋆

1975–76 43.3 14.9 [59.1]▮▮#

1976–77 46.2 19.6 59.9

1977–78 47.7 26.0 60.2

1978–79 48.2 26.1 60.3

1979–80 46.8 25.1 61.6

1980–81 46.9║ 25.3║ 66.4

1981–82 44.0║ 27.7║ 68.5

Notes:

^* Excludes courses of treatment which contained free items only.

† Exempt patients has been taken to include exemptions, automatic remissions and cases where the patient applied for and received full remission.

‡ Remission arrangements were introduced in November 1974.

║ Exempt categories were changed in April 1981.

¶ This includes exemptions, full or partial remission of charges and refund of charges.

• Prescriptions dispensed by retail pharmacists, excluding items on which a charge was paid and items dispensed without charge against a prepayment certificate.

▀ Figures before 1976–77 are available on a calendar year basis only; the figures given are for the calendar year in which most of the financial year falls, ie. the figure shown against 1975–76 is for 1975

^* From April 1974, exemption categories extended to include women 60–64 and children aged 15.

# From July 1975, contraceptive drugs and appliances included in exemption arrangements.

§ Mrs. Dunwoody
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the cost of providing (a) prescriptions, (b) dental services and (c) optical services for those exempted from charges for each of the last 10 years.

§ Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg
Information is not available for all the years requested but estimates of the cost, for the family practitioner services, are as follows:

Pharmaceutical service^* General dental service†║ General ophthalmic service‡║

£ million £ million £ million

1973–74 ¶ ¶ ¶

1974–75 ¶ 53 ¶

1975–76 ¶ 72 8

1976–77 ¶ 77 12

1977–78 352 82 16

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illness, (d) mental handicap and (e) child and adolescent psychiatry; and how many of these had been waiting for: (i) over six months and (ii) over one year (1) at the latest available date, (2) in May 1979 and (3) in 1978

§ Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg
I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

England and Wales
Year	Mean waiting time for patients treated in NHS hospitals^*
1970	14.7
1971	14.1
1972	11.4
1973	14.2
1974	14.0
1975	14.3
1976	16.0
1977	16.0
1978	15.3
1979	17.7
^* Excluding psychiatric and maternity cases.

	Percentage of Courses of Dental Treatment^* provided to exempt patients†	Percentage of Optical Prescriptions dispensed under exemption arrangements¶	Percentage of Prescriptions dispensed under exemption arrangements•
1972–73	Not readily available	Not available	Not available
1973–74	Not readily available	Not available	[55.1]▀
1974–75	42.8‡	Not available	[57.1]▀⋆
1975–76	43.3	14.9	[59.1]▮▮#
1976–77	46.2	19.6	59.9
1977–78	47.7	26.0	60.2
1978–79	48.2	26.1	60.3
1979–80	46.8	25.1	61.6
1980–81	46.9║	25.3║	66.4
1981–82	44.0║	27.7║	68.5
Notes:
^* Excludes courses of treatment which contained free items only.
† Exempt patients has been taken to include exemptions, automatic remissions and cases where the patient applied for and received full remission.
‡ Remission arrangements were introduced in November 1974.
║ Exempt categories were changed in April 1981.
¶ This includes exemptions, full or partial remission of charges and refund of charges.
• Prescriptions dispensed by retail pharmacists, excluding items on which a charge was paid and items dispensed without charge against a prepayment certificate.
▀ Figures before 1976–77 are available on a calendar year basis only; the figures given are for the calendar year in which most of the financial year falls, ie. the figure shown against 1975–76 is for 1975
^* From April 1974, exemption categories extended to include women 60–64 and children aged 15.
# From July 1975, contraceptive drugs and appliances included in exemption arrangements.

	Pharmaceutical service^*	General dental service†║	General ophthalmic service‡║
	£ million	£ million	£ million
1973–74	¶	¶	¶
1974–75	¶	53	¶
1975–76	¶	72	8
1976–77	¶	77	12
1977–78	352	82	16