HC Deb 15 November 1984 vol 67 cc362-4W
Mr. Dobson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what changes were made in the compilation or validation of annual hospital returns in 1979 prior to or as part of the central computerisation of the returns.

Mr. John Patten

The main changes made to the compilation of the annual hospital statistical return (Form SH3) in 1979 were as follows:

  1. i. separate figures relating to private patients in NHS hospitals were removed from this return and collected separately on Form SBH211.
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  2. ii. separate figures on the numbers of healthy persons lodged at hospitals were no longer collected.
  3. iii. figures on individual specialist units (eg burns units, spinal injuries units) were recorded separately. Previously figures on some of these units were recorded under recognised main specialties and others were aggregated centrally under one category.

Details of these changes were given in health notices HN(79)19 and HN(79)99, copies of which are available in the Library.

The validation process remained unchanged in 1979, but the computer was used where possible to perform validation checks previously carried out manually.