§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has as to the number of people who have been recommended for surgical treatment on the grounds of extreme pain and who are currently on hospital waiting lists; and what information he has as to the proportion of this figure accounted for by (a) elderly and (b) housebound people.
§ Mr. John PattenThe requested information is not available centrally. The question of when to treat a patient is a matter for the clinical decision of the consultant responsible. If a general practitioner felt that a particular patient needed to be admitted earlier this should be discussed with the consultant.