HC Deb 09 January 1985 vol 70 cc521-2W
Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the waiting time for (a) outpatient appointments and (b) operations in the ear, nose and throat specialties in (i) the United Kingdom, (ii) England and (iii) each of the English health authorities.

Mr. John Patten

[pursuant to his reply, 11 December 1984, c. 474]: Information on out-patient waiting times is not available centrally. The estimated median interval between the date a patient was put on the in-patient waiting list and the date of admission to a NHS hospital in each of the English regional health authorities and the four United Kingdom countries is given in the table. An aggregated figure covering the whole of the United Kingdom is not available.

Estimated median waiting time (in weeks) for ear, nose and throat operations in NHS hospitals in 1982
Number of weeks
Scotland 8
Wales 10
Northern Ireland *9
England 11
English regional health authorities:
Northern 11
Yorkshire 13
Trent 12
East Anglian 12
North West Thames 9
North East Thames 9
South East Thames 9
South West Thames 11
Wessex 16
Oxford 10
South Western 13
West Midlands 12
Mersey 10
North Western 10
Special health authorities and boards of governors 7
* Figure for 1983.