HC Deb 26 January 1993 vol 217 cc699-700W
Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients underwent neurosurgical operations between 1979 and the change in regulations in 1981 governing the disposal of surgical equipment.

Mr. Yeo

Guidance on the disposal of surgical equipment was issued by the Department of Health in November 1981 and has recently been updated. The figures in the table are for the three years 1979, 1980 and 1981. Parts of years cannot be identified separately.

Estimated number of neurosurgical operations in NHS hospitals in England
Year Number
1979 5,310
1980 6,510
1981 6,330

Source: Hospital In-Patient Enquiry 1979, 1980, 1981.

The data refer to all skull and closed brain operations listed in the 3rd revision of the Classification of Surgical Operations (Office of Population Censuses and Surveys) 1975.

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