§ The Rev. Ian Paisleyasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, in view of reports about ill-health caused by poverty and unemployment, if he will direct more resources towards primary medical care and community care in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Chris PattenThe recently published regional strategic plan for the health and personal social services in Northern Ireland acknowledged that adverse social, economic and environmental factors combine to generate higher demands for both health and social care. It accepted that, on most indicators of socio-economic need, Northern Ireland is the most deprived region of the United Kingdom and that the higher relative spending levels per capita on health and social care in Northern Ireland compared to Great Britain were justified.
The plan pointed out, however, that Northern Ireland could not realistically expect the existing differential to widen still further in its favour during the next few years and stipulated that action to remedy the problems and gaps in service provision would, therefore, be largely
In-patients Out-patients (waiting first appointment)* 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1981 1982 1983 Aids hospital 955 1,149 810 484 417 623 488 426 Bangor hospital 329 427 610 374 453 † 439 325 Ulster hospital, Dundonald 3,504 3,402 2,252 2,301 2,193 3,190 3,293 2,809 * Information on out-patients was first collected in 1981. † Not available. Collection of information about out-patients waiting lists at Bangor hospital commenced in 1982.