§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the number of urgent and non-urgent patients on hospital waiting lists in each health district on 30 September 1983; how many urgent cases had been on each list for more than a month; and how many non-urgent cases had been on each list for more than a year.
§ Mr. John PattenDetailed health district waiting list figures for 30 September 1983 are not yet available. A provisional estimated total for England was given in my reply to the hon. Member for Dundee, West (Mr. Ross) on 9 March, at column744.
I shall let the hon. Member have a full reply as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what have been the total numbers on National Health Service waiting lists on 31 March and 30 September in each year since September 1979.
§ Mr. John PattenThe information requested is given in the table. The high figures for September 1982 and March 1983 are attributable to the industrial action in the Health Service. The provisional estimated figure for September 1983 shows that the National Health Service is starting to regain the ground which was lost.
273W
England Number of persons on inpatient waiting lists Year 31 March 30 September 1979 — 698,450 1980 664,919 635,881 1981 628,333 619,393 1982 622,480 725,865 1983 726,186 *704,500 *Provisional estimate.