HC Deb 18 April 1986 vol 95 cc536-7W
Mr. Dobson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the total National Health Service waiting list every six months since 1956.

Mr. Whitney

I am sorry I cannot give the hon. Member all the information he seeks. Some of the information is not held centrally. The available information is given in the table. Over this period the number of in-patient discharges and deaths per year increased by 74 per cent. from 3.5 million to 6.2 million.

Number of cases on in-patient waiting list at 31 December, 31 March, 30 June, 30 September—England
Number
December 1956 404,176
December 1957 415,168
December 1958 420,548
December 1959 447,469
December 1960 442,995
December 1961 450,681
December 1962 446,842
December 1963 454,193
December 1964 476,403
June 1965 499,730
December 1965 492,129
June 1966 512,002
December 1966 510,422
June 1967 513,351

Number
December 1967 509,537
June 1968 513,004
December 1968 505,107
June 1969 515,140
December 1969 532,370
June 1970 539,686
December 1970 525,926
June 1971 519,322
December 1971 493,731
June 1972 496,569
December 1972 479,199
June 1973 542,074
December 1973 508,617
June 1974 508,390
December 1974 517,424
June 1975 532,613
December 1975 588,483
March 1976 583,851
September 1976 588,264
March 1977 595,490
September 1977 591,096
March 1978 603,240
September 1978 628,361
March 1979 752,422
September 1979 695,726
March 1980 664,919
September 1980 635,881
March 1981 628,333
September 1981 619,393
March 1982 622,480
September 1982 725,865
March 1983 726,186
September 1983 703,755
March 1984 692,945
September 1984 682,599
March 1985 674,453