To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of patient treatment in Welsh hospitals consisted of re-admission in the five years 1982 to 1987.
Information on re-admission to National Health Service hospitals and units is available only in the case of mental illness and mental handicap, for which the latest data are given in the following table:
| Re-admissions as a percentage of total admissions | ||
| Year | Mental illness hospitals or units | Mental handicap hospitals or units |
| 1982 | 66·5 | 90·5 |
| 1983 | 68·2 | 95·6 |
| 1984 | 69·3 | 95·7 |
| 1985 | 71·1 | 96·9 |
| 1986 | 73·3 | 98·2 |
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether the statistics for hospital patient treatments in Wales includes re-admission of patients; and if he will make a statement.
Statistics for in-patient treatment in National Health Service hospitals in Wales are collected upon discharge. Consequently the emphasis is on the current diagnosis and treatment and not the previous history of the patient. Data about the number of re-admissions are not collected centrally other than in the specialties of mental illness and mental handicap.