§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has any information concerning the comparative average waiting times and numbers of patients currently on the waiting lists for ophthalmological procedure at present(a) in the Nottingham district health authority and (b) on average in England and Wales.
§ Mr. MellorThere were 625 patients on the inpatient waiting list for ophthalmology in Nottingham at 31 March 1988 compared with an average of 420 patients for the 152 English health authorities which provide inpatient ophthalmology treatment. Nottingham health authority serves a much larger population than most health districts. The median waiting time for ophthalmology patients treated in the quarter ending 31 March 1988 was 10 weeks in Nottingham compared with 11 weeks for England as a whole.
Questions about waiting lists in Wales are for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.