HC Deb 07 November 1989 vol 159 cc562-9W
65. Mr. Cryer

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total number of people on the waiting list for hospitals in the Bradford health authority; and if he will make statement.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

There were 6,386 people on the in-patient waiting list for Bradford district health authority at 31 March 1989. Bradford is one of 22 districts with long waiting lists that was chosen this year for investigation by an independent management team. This has led to additional funding of £206,000 for 1,000 additional patients to be treated from the waiting list in the district.

69. Mr. Skinner

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the figures for those on hospital waiting lists at the latest available date; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

There were 704,700 people on in-patient waiting lists at 31 March 1989, the latest date for which figures are available centrally.

77. Mr. David Evans

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many additional patients have been treated over the last 12 months for which figures are available as a result of the waiting list initiative.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

In 1988–89 the £30 million waiting list fund enabled more than 117,000 additional in-patients and day cases and more than 93,000 additional out-patients to be treated from the waiting lists. This year health authorities are using £25 million from the £31 million fund to treat a further 100,000 in-patients and day cases and 90,000 out-patients; £6 million of the fund is being directed towards treating additional patients in those districts with the most serious waiting problems.

81. Mr. Favell

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his plans to reduce waiting lists.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

In the three years to March 1990, the Government have made available a total of £86 million through the special waiting list fund to tackle particular waiting problems. This special funding has enabled over 200,000 extra in-patients and day cases to be treated from the waiting lists in the first two years, as well

In-patient waiting list1, 31 March 1988–31 March 1989, by District Health Authority
March 1988 September 1988 March 1989 Waiting list
District health authority Number Rank Number Rank Number Rank fund allocation 1988–89
Hartlepool 1,116 175 1,205 172 1,167 175 76,484
North Tees 1,251 170 1,219 171 1,507 163 44,184
South Tees 5,153 37 5,268 36 4,797 48 437,600
East Cumbria 3,524 78 3,577 74 3,422 88 139,046
South Cumbria 1,105 176 1,266 170 1,206 173 8,150
West Cumbria 1,406 164 1,391 164 1,334 171 0
Darlington 2,172 137 2,332 125 2,163 134 185,700
Durham 1,384 166 1,357 167 1,425 166 38,811
North West Durham 845 183 830 184 763 186 0
South West Durham 1,086 177 980 178 1,048 181 19,000
Northumberland 1,636 157 1,628 151 1,671 157 82,898
Gateshead 1,275 169 1,341 168 1,109 178 54,100
Newcastle 8,032 9 7,813 9 8,669 7 297,679
North Tyneside 1,189 173 1,018 177 1,057 179 59,472
South Tyneside 797 185 815 186 886 182 23,835
Sunderland 4,073 65 3,889 64 4,609 53 529,532
Hull 8,559 6 7,357 14 6,867 18 480,600
East Yorkshire 1,768 153 1,841 145 1,580 159 22,000
Grimsby 1,149 174 1,032 176 1,746 154 0
Scunthorpe 2,843 108 2,875 103 2,881 107 133,500
Northallerton 677 188 703 187 700 187 0
York 2,549 117 2,784 109 2,557 121 178,000
Scarborough 2,043 139 2,103 134 2,081 138 0
Harrogate 1,761 154 1,549 155 2,074 139 11,550
Bradford 6,978 19 6,388 23 6,836 19 238,160
Airedale 2,351 126 2,223 130 2,502 124 171,200
Calderdale 1,044 180 1,086 175 1,053 180 16,000
Huddersfield 2,099 138 1,793 147 2,215 131 39,828
Dewsbury 763 187 574 189 782 184 0
Leeds Western 5,663 30 5,756 28 6,201 23 63,475
Leeds Eastern 6,993 18 6,906 21 6,529 21 264,590
Wakefield 2,037 140 2,313 127 2,101 136 56,463
Pontefract 2,002 145 1,701 150 2,056 140 324,000
North Derbyshire 2,354 125 2,800 108 2,152 135 250,900

as more than 130,000 out-patients. This year health authorities are using the fund to treat an additional 100,000 in-patients/day cases and 90,000 out-patients. We intend to allocate further funds for tackling long waiting times in 1990–91, and I will be making a statement about this soon.

Earlier this year my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Putney (Mr. Mellor) sent a management team, led by John Yates of Inter Authority Comparisons and Consultancy, into the 22 districts with the longest waiting times in the country, to find out why the lists there are so long, and to suggest how they can be shortened. As a result of this work, backed up by money from the waiting list fund, the number of patients waiting over a year in the 43 specialties studied has already reduced by a quarter. I intend this valuable and effective work to continue next year.

Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list district health authorities in England in rank order of size of waiting list as at September 1989, stating also their position as at March 1989, September 1988, and March 1988, the size of waiting list at each date and the amount in total and per head of population expended under the waiting list initiative for 1988–89.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

[holding answer 6 November 1989]: The information requested is given in the table and the ranking is based on waiting list data for 31 March 1989 which are the latest figures available centrally. The amount of waiting list money per head of population cannot be accurately calculated by district as projects funded can involve cross-boundary flow.

March 1988 September 1988 March 1989 Waiting list fund allocation 1988–89
District health authority Number Rank Number Rank Number Rank
Southern Derbyshire 4,986 40 4,554 48 5,182 39 228,400
Leicestershire 8,413 7 8,700 4 8,495 9 304,320
North Lincolnshire 3,014 97 2,999 96 2,851 111 60,000
South Lincolnshire 3,157 89 3,484 78 3,237 93 308,000
Bassetlaw 1,247 171 1,381 165 1,136 176 274,000
Central Nottinghamshire 4,061 66 4,149 57 4,745 49 200,000
Nottingham 7,299 16 6,311 26 8,360 11 254,000
Barnsley 2,279 128 2,398 124 2,529 123 80,000
Doncaster 4,222 62 4,536 50 3,991 68 434,100
Rotherham 3,113 94 3,141 90 3,420 89 82,500
Sheffield 10,931 2 10,441 2 10,820 3 430,700
Cambridge 4,305 59 4,166 56 4,431 59 91,119
Peterborough 4,608 48 4,841 42 4,675 51 161,490
West Suffolk 3,147 91 2,685 112 3,610 74 17,700
East Suffolk 3,774 74 3,488 77 4,154 65 99,300
Norwich 9,995 3 9,041 3 11,507 2 359,800
Great Yarmouth and Waveney 3,713 76 3,535 75 4,031 67 186,140
West Norfolk and Wisbech 2,408 122 2,230 129 2,461 125 87,500
Huntingdon 1,467 163 1,132 173 1,620 158 0
North Bedfordshire 1,818 151 1,702 149 1,743 155 30,000
South Bedfordshire 2,952 100 3,061 94 2,950 104 58,100
North Hertfordshire 2,979 98 2,883 102 3,107 97 218,900
East Hertfordshire 1,309 168 1,510 158 1,537 162 175,000
North West Hertfordshire 1,057 179 969 179 1,185 174 136,500
South West Hertfordshire 1,694 155 1,378 166 1,565 161 50,650
Barnet 2,970 99 2,941 98 3,021 101 26,250
Harrow 1,405 165 1,481 160 1,814 150 20,000
Hillingdon 7,773 11 7,579 11 6,993 17 346,500
Hounslow and Spelthorne 6,221 25 6,369 24 5,834 27 370,000
Ealing 1,961 148 1,799 146 1,423 167 100,270
Riverside 5,897 28 6,254 27 5,913 25 0
Parkside 6,734 21 6,359 25 5,885 26 244,300
Basildon and Thurrock 5,734 29 5,428 34 5,568 30 456,000
Mid Essex 5,097 38 5,291 35 5,348 36 71,404
North East Essex 3,212 87 2,914 100 3,514 80 220,413
West Essex 5,589 31 5,433 33 5,557 31 55,241
Southend 4,465 53 4,138 58 3,456 82 77,182
Barking, Havering and Brentwood 9,782 4 8,137 7 9,447 4 390,000
Hampstead 4,386 57 3,793 67 3,413 90 17,800
Bloomsbury 14,287 1 13,991 1 13,680 1 381,221
Islington 2,263 130 3,322 85 2,240 130 0
City and Hackney 5,408 33 5,493 32 5,470 33 83,013
Newham 1,003 181 969 180 1,122 177 25,639
Tower Hamlets 5,272 35 5,652 30 5,385 34 156,000
Enfield 3,345 81 3,446 80 3,604 75 170,300
Haringey 2,010 143 1,101 174 2,659 118 0
Redbridge 1,975 146 2,198 131 1,972 144 120,085
Waltham Forest 5,556 32 4,895 40 5,628 28 47,544
Brighton 4,432 55 4,387 52 4,358 61 159,550
Eastbourne 3,829 72 3,609 72 3,676 71 167,000
Hastings 2,864 105 2,754 110 2,768 114 90,000
South East Kent 2,849 106 2,588 119 3,043 100 0
Canterbury and Thanet 4,732 46 5,266 37 4,722 50 98,750
Dartford and Gravesham 3,972 69 3,911 63 4,219 64 90,000
Maidstone 3,812 73 3,441 81 3,382 91 211,408
Medway 2,743 111 2,597 118 3,549 78 151,000
Tunbridge Wells 4,501 50 4,553 49 4,374 60 102,800
Bexley 1,515 160 1,605 152 1,977 143 209,750
Greenwich 2,391 123 2,864 104 2,575 120 70,400
Bromley 2,269 129 2,084 135 1,771 152 181,200
West Lambeth 5,944 27 7,332 16 4,802 47 253,200
Camberwell 2,426 121 1,987 139 2,327 129 0
Lewisham and North Southwark 7,340 14 7,247 18 6,429 22 471,200
North West Surrey 2,836 109 3,239 87 2,962 102 165,000
West Surrey and North East Hants 4,779 45 4,569 47 4,586 54 520,000
South West Surrey 3,273 84 2,682 113 2,871 109 95,000
Mid Surrey 2,931 102 1,940 141 2,188 132 170,000
East Surrey 3,148 90 2,629 115 3,449 83 120,000
Chichester 2,200 134 1,861 144 2,551 122 175,000
Mid Downs 4,651 47 3,528 76 4,902 42 0

March 1988 September 1988 March 1989 Waiting list
District health authority Number Rank Number Rank Number Rank fund allocation 1988–89
Worthing 4,249 61 3,935 62 4,479 55 408,000
Croydon 2,190 135 2,066 136 2,358 128 0
Kingston and Esher 2,460 120 2,138 133 3,432 85 340,000
Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton 2,730 112 2,626 116 2,816 113 0
Wandsworth 2,543 118 2,165 132 3,444 84 0
Merton and Sutton 3,015 96 3,205 89 3,089 98 0
East Dorset 4,832 42 5,165 38 4,875 44 190,776
West Dorset 2,227 132 2,025 137 2,092 137 6,000
Portsmouth and South East Hampshire 6,779 20 7,404 13 5,612 29 300,000
Southampton and South West Hampshire 6,520 23 7,051 19 8,542 8 222,000
Winchester 3,132 93 2,809 106 2,723 116 110,000
Basingstoke and North Hampshire 2,382 124 3,300 86 2,638 119 137,000
Salisbury 6,349 24 6,547 22 6,046 24 128,500
Swindon 2,623 116 2,922 99 3,069 99 147,000
Bath 5,291 34 4,982 39 5,506 32 150,000
Isle of Wight 1,472 162 1,521 157 1,475 164 58,000
East Berkshire 7,317 15 7,562 12 8,056 13 80,000
West Berkshire 4,816 44 4,743 45 5,260 38 50,000
Aylesbury Vale 2,906 104 3,367 83 3,185 96 100,000
Wycombe 804 184 930 181 806 183 13,000
Milton Keynes 2,031 141 1,991 138 1,722 156 300,000
Kettering 4,268 60 4,193 55 5,014 40 80,000
Northampton 3,606 77 3,688 69 3,458 81 50,000
Oxfordshire 7,248 17 6,964 20 7,857 15 490,000
Bristol and Weston 7,461 13 8,035 8 8,056 14 209,920
Frenchay 2,950 101 2,980 97 2,166 133 236,500
Southmead 1,774 152 1,506 159 1,939 145 33,507
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 5,180 36 3,942 61 5,372 35 130,596
Exeter 4,060 67 3,627 71 4,613 52 100,500
North Devon 2,018 142 1,906 143 2,016 141 58,430
Plymouth 6,180 26 5,634 31 6,754 20 392,255
Torbay 2,654 114 2,716 111 2,767 115 297,000
Cheltenham 2,321 127 2,635 114 2,951 103 131,400
Gloucester 3,911 70 4,030 60 4,854 46 111,998
Somerset 4,902 41 4,818 44 5,310 37 194,352
Bromsgrove and Redditch 1,580 159 1,320 169 1,860 149 0
Herefordshire 3,430 79 3,108 92 3,648 72 0
Kidderminster and District 1,315 167 1,438 162 1,408 168 0
Worcester and District 3,236 86 3,333 84 3,211 95 0
Shropshire 7,639 12 7,611 10 8,360 12 210,000
Mid Staffordshire 1,868 150 1,775 148 1,274 172 0
North Staffordshire 8,588 5 8,466 5 8,431 10 328,000
South East Staffordshire 3,144 92 2,911 101 3,431 86 0
Rugby 784 186 919 182 769 185 0
North Warwickshire 3,099 95 3,026 95 2,688 117 0
South Warwickshire 2,844 107 2,481 122 2,914 106 20,000
Central Birmingham 4,832 43 4,865 41 4,452 58 0
East Birmingham 2,178 136 2,488 121 1,886 147 392,000
North Birmingham 1,681 156 1,434 163 1,908 146 0
South Birmingham 4,592 49 5,743 29 3,640 73 616,100
West Birmingham 3,346 80 3,605 73 2,879 108 90,000
Coventry 4,212 63 4,655 46 4,462 57 886,000
Dudley 4,491 52 3,845 65 4,864 45 146,000
Sandwell 2,009 144 1,953 140 2,013 142 119,900
Solihull 1,202 172 1,573 154 1,383 170 150,000
Walsall 2,523 119 2,585 120 2,405 127 0
Wolverhampton 3,868 71 3,662 70 3,745 70 24,000
Chester 3,182 88 3,094 93 3,536 79 65,000
Crewe 4,459 54 4,232 54 3,567 77 239,400
Halton 203 190 107 190 156 190 245,000
Macclesfield 1,065 178 834 183 1,402 169 75,000
Warrington 2,231 131 1,925 142 1,870 148 210,000
Liverpool 8,311 8 8,218 6 8,804 6 202,025
St. Helens and Knowsley 3,760 75 3,775 68 3,586 76 195,500
Southport and Formby 1,630 158 1,549 156 1,753 153 83,000
South Sefton 3,242 85 3,453 79 3,232 94 266,610
Wirral 4,038 68 3,844 66 4,133 66 0
Lancaster 2,677 113 2,312 128 2,826 112 84,300
Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde 3,304 83 3,399 82 3,431 87 57,400

March 1988 September 1988 March 1989 Waiting list fund allocation 1988–89
District health authority Number Rank Number Rank Number Rank
Preston 5,080 39 4,828 43 4,897 43 148,600
Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley 3,339 82 3,225 88 3,761 69 250,000
Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale 1,971 147 2,329 126 1,807 151 151,800
West Lancashire 2,210 133 2,401 123 2,852 110 91,600
Chorley and South Ribble 582 189 666 188 636 188 66,900
Bolton 2,922 103 2,607 117 2,936 105 101,100
Bury 903 182 825 185 373 189 45,800
North Manchester 2,806 110 3,135 91 2,457 126 77,400
Central Manchester 7,865 10 7,353 15 9,441 5 272,600
South Manchester 6,670 22 7,265 17 7,483 16 100,000
Oldham 4,494 51 4,249 53 4,903 41 317,900
Rochdale 2,654 115 2,821 105 3,280 92 201,800
Salford 4,196 64 2,803 107 4,477 56 202,500
Stockport 4,384 58 4,446 51 4,324 62 69,100
Tameside and Glossop 1,899 149 1,604 153 1,566 160 92,400
Trafford 1,480 161 1,470 161 1,469 165 98,800
Wigan 4,402 56 4,080 59 4,310 63 106,000
1Total less self deferred.

Mr. Winnick

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current waiting list for operations in(a) the west midlands and (b) the Walsall borough (i) in total and (ii) of those waiting for over 12 months; and if he will list the operations needing to be performed.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

[holding answer 6 November 1989]: Waiting list information is available centrally only by the specialty of treatment and not by operation. The available information is given in the table:

Gross demand in-patient waiting list, surgical1 acute specialties 31 March 1989
Total Number waiting 12 months or more
West Midlands RHA 73,003 19,753
Walsall DHA 2,577 412
1 Including gynaecology.