§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Wales to what factors he attributes the 35 per cent. increase in the hospital out-patient waiting lists in Wales between 1979 and 1986.
§ Mr. GristThe number of people on hospital outpatient waiting lists is determined by two factors: the number of patients referred to out-patient clinics and the number of people seen and thereby removed from the lists. The number of new out-patients seen during 1986 was greater than the number seen in 1979 by 17.7 per cent. The number on out-patient waiting lists rose despite this, because the rate of increase of referrals was faster than the rate of increase of out-patients seen.