§ Mr. Boyesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how long a person needing hospital treatment for the following has to wait at present (a) orthopaedic conditions, (b) ear, nose and throat conditions and
588W
Males Duration of unemployment in weeks 16 17 18 19 20–24 25–29 30–34 35–39 40–44 45–49 50–54 55–59 60–64 65 and over Total One or less 6 3 3 6 5 8 2 5 5 3 3 7 4 0 60 Over 1 and up to 2 2 6 5 8 17 6 6 8 6 2 3 7 7 0 83 Over 2 and up to 4 6 13 8 4 22 14 6 9 5 11 5 8 6 0 117 Over 4 and up to 6 27 16 24 8 17 9 3 9 5 3 7 6 8 0 142 Over 6 and up to 8 4 5 6 7 18 8 7 4 6 6 3 7 5 0 80 Over 8 and up to 13 0 14 8 8 23 21 13 12 3 10 10 8 15 0 145 Over 13 and up to 26 8 14 20 20 48 20 28 20 27 18 14 23 35 0 295 Over 26 and up to 39 2 10 10 11 32 14 17 25 14 14 13 19 22 0 203 Over 39 and up to 52 0 9 9 8 30 21 20 11 11 11 12 28 45 0 215 Over 52 and up to 65 0 8 4 2 13 11 18 4 15 14 16 18 15 0 138 Over 65 and up to 78 0 1 7 4 12 5 7 7 10 11 12 11 0 0 67 Over 78 and up to 104 0 0 6 4 32 14 9 11 9 9 9 22 3 0 128 (c) gynaecological conditions in the area covered by (i) the Northern regional health authority and (ii) the Sunderland district health authority.
§ Mr. John Patten[pursuant to his reply, on 31 January 1984, c. 182]: In 1981, the latest year for which information is available centrally, the estimated median waiting times for those admitted to National Health Service hospitals in the Northern regional health authority and Sunderland district health authority from the waiting list for treatment in the specialties listed were as follows:
Estimated median waiting time (in weeks) Specialty Northern RHA Sunderland Orthopaedics 12 13 Ear, nose and throat 14 24 Gynaecology 5 5