§ Mr. Christopher Hawkinsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what parliamentary questions he answers on hospital waiting lists; and whether information is available (a) by specialty and (b) by hospital.
124Wbed rose from four in 1976 to 5.3 in 1982 and the average length of stay fell from 84.9 days to 62.3 days. Many elderly patients are of course treated in other types of hospital bed.
§ Mr. John PattenWe answer any questions on inpatient waiting lists for National Health Service hospitals in England for which information is available and can be supplied without inordinate expense. The Department collects information on waiting lists in each specialty and each district health authority on 31 March and 30 September, and for each specialty and each hospital on 31 December.
§ Mr. Christopher Hawkinsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make available detailed information on waiting lists so that doctors and patients in need of urgent operations will know where best these operations may be sought.
§ Mr. John PattenThe information collected by the Department does not identify the numbers of patients waiting for particular operations. Health authorities have been encouraged to make information available to general practitioners about the waiting lists in their hospitals. The Department is discussing with the West Midlands regional health authority the setting up of a pilot project in the region on ways of giving general practitioners more information of this type and its effects on referral patterns. It is hoped that this project can start in 1984.