§ Mr. Roy HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the latest available figures for people waiting for urgent in-patient treatment in(a) Wales, (b) Gwent and (c) Newport; and what were the figures in 1979.
§ Mr. GristThe available information is given in the following table.
People waiting for urgent in-patient treatment as at 30 September 19801 1988 Wales 4,240 2,887 Gwent 1,212 855 Newport2 778 428 1 Reliable information in this form is not available prior to this date. 2 People waiting for treatment at royal Gwent and St. Woolos hospitals. I welcome the substantial improvement and hope it will continue.
§ Mr. Roy HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what are the latest available figures for non-urgent cases waiting for one month or more in each of the Welsh health authorities; and what were the figures for 1979;
(2) what are the latest available figures for urgent cases waiting one month or more in each of the Welsh health authorities; and what were the figures for 1979.
§ Mr. GristThe available information on in-patient waiting lists is given in the following table. Information on non-urgent cases is collected on the basis of the number waiting for one year or more.
5W
Urgent cases waiting one month or more as at 30 September Non-urgent cases waiting one year or more as at 30 September 19801 1988 19801 1988 Clwyd 108 — 680 440 East Dyfed — — 111 236 Pembrokeshire 101 283 708 1,470 Gwent 848 553 1,958 2,207 Gwynedd 160 95 427 341 Mid Glamorgan 417 250 3,942 2,077 Powys 9 3 — — South Glamorgan 842 466 1,666 1,767 West Glamorgan 350 181 790 988 1 Reliable information in this form is not available prior to this date.
§ Mr. Roy HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to reduce the non-urgent hospital waiting lists in Gwent.
§ Mr. GristResponsibility for the management of waiting lists in Wales rests with district health authorities, within their allocated financial resources. The recurrent revenue provision for Gwent health authority for 1989–90 is some £127 million which represents a growth of 34 per cent. over 1978–79 after taking account of inflation. In order to reduce waiting times £1 million of additional moneys were allocated to health authorities by the Welsh Office in each of the last three years to enable them to tackle specific problem lists. A further £1.1 million has recently been made available for 1989–90 of which Gwent's share is £220,000 to fund a scheme to reduce trauma and orthopaedics waiting times in south Gwent. In addition, all health authorities have produced action plans for reducing waiting times and officials of the Welsh Office will be kept in touch with the position through six-monthly reports from authorities.