§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans there are to recruit consultant surgeons to eliminate waiting times for operations in Wales.
§ Mr. GristThe responsibility for the recruitment of additional consultant surgeons to meet service needs lies with the district health authorities. Manpower approval has been granted, on the basis of district health authority bids, for the recruitment of additional consultants in specialities with problem lists. These include six posts in trauma and orthopaedics, five in general surgery and four in ophthalmology.
Separately the Welsh Office undertook as part of its treatment centre initiative to fund six additional consultant posts, of which 4.5 whole-time equivalent posts are already in place. Furthermore £1.1 million has been allocated under the 1990–91 waiting times initiative and which includes funding for at least four consultant posts.
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§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he plans to meet health authorities in Wales to discuss with them the waiting times for surgery.
§ Mr. GristMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State intends to meet DHA chairmen soon to discuss a number of issues, including waiting times.
§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will meet community health councils in Wales to discuss with them their views concerning his plans for changes in the national health service.
§ Mr. GristMy right hon. Friend has no current plans to do so. The Association of Welsh Community Health Councils has already made known its views on a number of the proposed reforms.
More routine opportunities for CHCs to raise for discussion matters of interest of concern are offered by the regular biannual meetings between the Association and the Director for the NHS in Wales. The latest of these meetings was held on 17 October 1990.
§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has on the reasons for the rise in waiting times for patients needing operations for ear, nose and throat problems.
§ Mr. GristI refer the hon. Gentleman to the "Welsh Hospital Waiting List Bulletin 1990; No. 2" which illustrates a variable performance in the light of developing demand and activity levels. During 1989 ear, nose and throat in-patient and day care throughput increased by 5.3 per cent., out-patient throughput rose by 2.2 per cent., with new out-patient attendances up by 8 per cent. In addition, at 31 March 1990: the number of urgent in-patients waiting fell by 54 per cent. over the previous year; and numbers of non-urgent in-patients rose by 8 per cent. and of out-patients fell by 15 per cent. Urgent cases waiting one month or more fell by 47 per cent. over the previous year; non-urgent cases waiting one year or more rose by 45 per cent; and out-patients waiting three months or more fell by 44 per cent.
§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number of designated intensive care beds in(a) each district health authority in Wales and (b) in each district general hospital in Wales and against each of these (i) the number of such beds which are currently subject to temporary closure, (ii) the number which have been proposed or are being considered for temporary closure and (iii) the number which have been proposed or are being considered for permanent closure.
§ Mr. GristI refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on Monday 22 October. No intensive care beds are proposed for permanent closure in applications currently before the Secretary of State. The temporary closure of beds is a matter for district health authorities.