HC Deb 09 July 1992 vol 211 cc333-4W
Mr. Burns

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much public money has been made available(a) nationally in respect of hospice support and (b) to the Chelmsford hospice in each of the last three available years.

Waiting lists England All patients waiting Waiting under 3 months Waiting under 6 months Waiting under 12 months Waiting under 24 months Waiting over 24 months
31 March 1991
All cases
General surgery 206,622 86,220 128,219 169,553 195,645 10,977
Urology 58,541 24,495 36,241 47,135 54,483 4,058
Trauma and Orthopaedics 170,648 56,512 95,079 135,992 161,305 9,343
ENT 121,837 50,670 77,413 104,092 118,046 3,791
Ophthalmology 95,210 34,567 58,125 82,579 93,673 1,537
Oral Surgery 62,176 20,852 34,424 49,371 58,743 3,433
Neurosurgery 3,913 1,651 2,439 3,202 3,724 189
Plastic surgery 53,485 11,424 18,837 28,793 39,907 13,578
Cardiothoracic surgery 9,236 3,664 5,904 7,996 8,937 299

Mr. Sackville

In each of the last three years the Government have allocated funds to regional health authorities to enable them to increase the support they give to hospices and similar organisations providing care and support for dying people and their families. In each of the last two years, funds have also been allocated to enable hospices to obtain supplies of drugs free of charge. The allocations are shown in the table:

Hospices (£ million) Drugs (£ million)
1990–91 8.00
1991–92 16.96 3.20
1992–93 31.70 5.50

The allocation of funds to individual projects is a matter for local discussion and agreement. The Chelmsford hospice received £54,000 in 1990–91 and £108,000 in 1991–92 from North East Thames regional health authority. The allocation for 1992–93 has yet to be approved by the RHA.