§ Mr. HinchliffeTo 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. YeoGuidance on the disposal of surgical equipment was issued by the Department of Health in700W 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.