§ Mr. Evennettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the number of patients waiting for inpatient treatment in the Greater London area and the average waiting time for each of the years in the period 1981to 1984; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenThe latest available information is given below. Information on average waiting time is not available centrally. In general, figures on waiting lists are believed to include a significant proportion of duplicated entries and patients who no longer require treatment. The amount of overstatement cannot be readily estimated but is thought to exceed 10 per cent. nationally and could be considerably more.
Year Number of persons* on in-patient waiting lists in NHS hospitals in Greater London at 30 September 1981 96,401 1982 108,530 1983 109,304 * These figures include waiting lists at hospitals administered by special health authorities and boards of governors. These hospitals admit many patients from outside the Greater London area.