HC Deb 18 March 1997 vol 292 c580W
28. Mr. Skinner

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of people on NHS waiting lists at the latest available date. [19189]

Mr. Horam

Provisional figures show that, on 31 December 1996, there were 1,095,940 parents waiting for admission to national health service hospitals in England on an in-patient or day case basis, only 2 per cent. of whom had been waiting more than a year.

Mr. Congdon

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were waiting(a) over one year and (b) over 18 months for treatment (i) in each region and (ii) nationally in December 1996; and how many (1) in each equivalent region and (2) nationally were waiting for (a) and (b) in March 1991. [20370]

Mr. Horam

The table gives the information requested. Information on the number of patients waiting over 18 months is not available for 1991. Regions have been adjusted as far as possible to allow comparisons between 1991 and 1996, but some differences remain, notably due to boundary changes in south Humber, Bedfordshire and Morecambe bay.

Patients Waiting over one year at end December 1996 (provisional)
Region Patients waiting over one year Of which: Patients waiting over 18 months
Northern and Yorkshire 2,563 0
Trent 5,277 0
Anglia and Oxford 1,561 22
North Thames 4,007 59
South Thames 2,924 28
South and West 2,507 12
West Midlands 288 0
North West 2,813 2
England 21,940 123
Patients waiting over one year at end March 1991
Region Patients waiting over one year
Northern and Yorkshire 17,801
Trent 10,525
Anglia and Oxford 19,713
North Thames 36,593
South Thames 26,265
South and West 24,452
West Midlands 17,473
North West 16,939
England 169,761

Regions not directly comparable due to boundary changes, notably in south Humberside, Morecambe bay and Bedfordshire.

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