Hansard

Hospitals (Waiting Lists)

Volume 984: debated on Wednesday 14 May 1980

Download text
Back to top Previous debate Next debate
The text on this page has been created from Hansard archive content, it may contain typographical errors.
Mr. Peter Robinson

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give full details for each hospital concerned regarding the number of patients on each hospital waiting list:

Health and Social Services Area BoardHospitalNumber on waiting list
Eastern……Downe………465
Northern Ireland Radiotherapy Centre………46
Ulster………2,768
Lagan Valley………441
Ards………990
Bangor………409
Claremont Street………17
Mater………477
Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children………669
Royal Victoria………3,932
Belfast City………1,618
Musgrave Park………4,386
Samaritan………164
TOTAL………16,382
Northern……Coleraine………107
Route………140
Moyle………268
Whiteabbey………176
Mid-Ulster………142
Waveney………1,534
TOTAL………2,367
Southern……South Tyrone………388
Craigavon Area………1,768
Banbridge………68
Cowan Heron………4
Daisy Hill………342
TOTAL………2,570
Western……Altnagelvin………813
St. Columba………41
Roe Valley………149
Tyrone County………1,157
Erne………306
TOTAL………2,466
NORTHERN IRELAND TOTAL………23,785
It is not possible to identify the treatment required by patients on hospitals waiting lists in the Eastern board, but the hospital specialties for which patients were waiting for treatment on 30 September 1979 were as follows:
SpecialtyNo. on Waiting List
General Medicine25
Paediatrics25
Radiotherapy46
Dermatology13
Neurology33
Cardiology280

what treatment was required by the 16,382 patients on the Eastern health board waiting list on 30 September 1979; and what steps are being taken to reduce these figures.

Mr. Alison

The numbers of patients on waiting lists on 30 September 1979, the latest date for which information is available, were as follows:

Physical Medicine…2
Rheumatology…56
General Surgery…3,263
ENT…2,670
Trauma amp; Orthopaedic Surgery…4,699
Ophthalmology…937
Plastic Surgery…2,169
Thoracic Surgery…93
Neuro Surgery…187
Dentistry…630
Gynaecology…1,031
Psychiatry…2
Other Specialist Units…221
—
Total…16,382

My Department will be spending some £58 million in the next four years on improving and extending hospital facilities in Northern Ireland. In addition, four new orthopaedic theatres are nearing completion at the Musgrave Park hospital, Belfast, and these will help to reduce the waiting list for orthopaedic surgery. I am confident that this programme of development will have an impact on waiting lists.