HC Deb 18 January 1988 vol 125 c536W
11. Dr. Marek

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the latest waiting list figures for hospital treatment in(a) Clwyd and (b) Wales.

Mr. Grist

At 31 March 1987 there were 5,959 people waiting for in-patient treatment in hospitals in Clwyd. The equivalent figure for Wales was 41,396.

Mr. Robin Cook

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures showing the numbers of people waiting for treatment in March 1978 and March 1987; and if he will break this down by regional health authority and district health authority.

Mr. Grist

The information, which relates to all specialties, is given in the table:

District Health Authority Waiting for treatment as an in-patient Waiting for a first out-patient consultation
March 1978 March 1987 March 1978 March 1987
Clwyd 3,571 4,959 4,187 8,352
East Dyfed 1,941 2,335 3,200 5,189
Gwent 6,404 7,705 10,438 11,749
Gwynedd 2,128 1,971 2,885 4,309
Mid Glamorgan 10,467 8,483 12,050 16,911
Pembrokeshire 1,411 2,510 1,348 2,291
Powys 78 36 88 640
South Glamorgan 5,521 7,876 12,007 14,381
West Glamorgan 3,880 5,521 12,254 14,142
Wales 35,401 41,396 58,457 77,964

I think, however, that the hon. Gentleman should be aware that by March 1979 the position as compared with March 1978 had substantially deteriorated. In the year from 31 March 1978 to 31 March 1979, the number of in-patients on waiting lists increased from 35,401 to 39,527.

It is also very important in the context of these figures to recognise the degree to which the number of patients cared for by the NHS has substantially increased between 1978 and 1987. In the 1977–78 financial year 342,470 in-patients were treated and 417,332 new out-patients were seen in Wales. The equivalent figures for 1986–87 were 435,621 and 508,984—increases of 27.2 per cent. and 22 per cent. respectively.