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Nhs Patients

Volume 195: debated on Tuesday 23 July 1991

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To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were treated in hospitals by the national health service in 1971 and 1990.

In the year ending March 1989, national health service hospitals in England treated 6·56 million in-patient cases, an increase of 27 per cent. on the 1971 figure of 5·17 million. Since 1988–89 in-patient activity has been measured in terms of finished consultant episodes which contain figures for "well babies" in hospital following the mother's confinement. Finished consultant episodes have risen by nearly 2 per cent. from 7·34 million in 1988–89 to 7·48 million in 1989–90.