§ Mr. Hannamasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the numbers on the waiting lists for operations in the Exeter health district for each of the years 1975 to 1986.
§ Mr. NewtonI am sorry I cannot give my hon. Friend the information he seeks in precisely the form requested. Information available centrally on inpatient waiting lists is categorised according to the specialty of the consultant but not according to the intended method of treatment. The available information on the numbers awaiting admission to surgical specialties is given in the table.
198WExeter district health authority will receive £40,000 in 1987–88 from the first year's allocation of the hospital waiting list fund, which was announced by my right hon. Friend on 17 February. This will provide for increased day surgery to treat an extra 700 patients all of whom are at present on the waiting list.
Numbers of cases on inpatient waiting list for acute surgery in National Health Service hospitals in Exeter district health authority Position at Total cases on list 31 December 1974 1 3,859 31 March 1976 3,606 31 March 1977 3,165 31 March 1978 3,381 31 March 1979 3,810 31 March 1980 3,331 31 March 1981 3,329 31 March 1982 3,410 31 March 1983 4,474 31 March 1984 4,184 31 March 1985 4,084 31 March 1986 4,614 1 Figure for March 1975 not available therefore number at 31 December 1974 given.
§ Mr. Altonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people on Merseyside are waiting for (a) hip operations, (b) knee joint operations, (c) kidney treatment and (d) eye operations.
§ Mr. NewtonI am sorry I cannot give the hon. Member the information he seeks. Information available centrally on in-patient waiting lists is categorised according to the specialty of the consultant but not according to the intended method of treatment. The hon. Member may wish to write to the chairman of the Mersey regional health authority for the information required.