§ Mr. LivseyTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate(a) the number of people in each health authority region in Wales currently waiting for an appointment with a consultant following a referral by a general practitioner and (b) the length of time which those people (i) have already waited and (ii) are expected to wait. [74382]
Mr. Jon Owen JonesThe numbers of people in each health authority area in Wales waiting for an appointment with a consultant at 31 December 1998, and the numbers waiting over six months, were published in the statistical release "NHS Wales Hospital Waiting Lists: December 1998" (SDR 7/99), a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. Data are not collected centrally on the expected length of wait, which will depend on individual circumstances. However, information on the routine outpatient wait for hospital consultants in Wales is published in the bulletin "Hospital Waiting Times" produced by the Welsh Health Common Services Authority, a copy of which will be placed in the Library of the House as soon as possible.
Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.
§ Mr. LivseyTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each health authority region the waiting time for new entrants to the waiting list for(a) ear, nose
178Wand throat, (b) trauma and orthopaedic, (c) general surgery, (d) ophthalmology and (e) gynaecology consultants. [74383]
Mr. Jon Owen JonesThe waiting times for new entrants to the lists to see NHS consultants will depend on individual circumstances. The proportions of patients seen within three months and six months of referral to consultants in these specialties in Welsh hospitals during the period 1 January 1998 to 31 March 1998 were published in "The Patient's Charter NHS Wales Performance Tables 1998", a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.