HC Deb 21 March 1989 vol 149 cc566-7W
30. Mr. Patrick Thompson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about recent changes in hospital waiting lists in the Norwich health authority area.

Mr. Mellor

At September 1988 the in-patient waiting list for the Norwich health authority area stood at 9,995, as against 9,041 at March 1988.

Norwich is one of 22 districts with particular waiting problems which have been selected for special targeted help in 1989–90. Its waiting lists are to be investigated by a management team, and if the team identifies the need for an injection of funds the district will be able to apply for a special allocation from the £6 million reserved from the waiting list fund. Norwich has already received over £500,000 from the fund in 1987–88 and 1988–89, and the East Anglian regional health authority plans to make further allocations to the district next year.