HC Deb 19 March 1987 vol 112 cc624-5W
Mr. Skinner

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many ancillary jobs have been lost in the Trent regional health authority since 1979.

Mr. Newton

The information sought is not available centrally in the precise form requested. The following table shows the change in the number of ancillary whole-time equivalent staff in post directly employed by health authorities in the Trent region in 1979 and 1986.

NHS Ancillary Staff in Post at 30 September Trent Regional Health Authority Whole Time Equivalent12
1979 16,450
31986 12,970
1 Figures are rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalents.
2 On the 1 April 1984 some 330 (wtes) Operating Department Assistants were re-classified from the Ancillary to the Professional and Technical staff group. The figures have not been adjusted for this re-classification.
3 Provisional.

Mr. Skinner

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people have been on hospital waiting lists in the Trent regional health authority area for (a) more than two years and (b) more than four years.

Mr. Newton

I am sorry I cannot give the hon. Member the information he seeks in precisely the form requested. At 30 September 1986, the latest date for which information is available centrally, the number of cases on the list for more than one year for admission to National Health Service hospitals in Trent region was 16,111. The hon. Member may wish to write to the chairman of the Trent regional health authority for further information.

Mr. Skinner

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are currently on hospital waiting lists for operations that do not require overnight stays throughout the Trent regional health authority area.

Mr. Newton

I am sorry I cannot give the hon. Member the information he seeks. Statistical information on cases awaiting day surgery will be collected centrally from 1 April 1987 when the recommendations of the steering group on health services information are implemented. The hon. Member may wish to write to the chairman of the Trent regional health authority for current information.