I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 39 together. Comprehensive detailed information along the lines requested by the Deputy has not been available on a routine basis for all specialties to my Department in the past. The practice has been to monitor waiting lists only in respect of specialties where there was known to be a particular problem in relation to service provision. These include orthopaedics, cardiac surgery and ophthalmology. The information available in relation to these specialities does not indicate any overall increase in the number on their waiting lists.
Similarly, the general information available to my Department from ongoing and regular contact with hospitals does not suggest a significant increase in the number on waiting lists. Where increases have occurred they tend to be where new procedures or treatments are developed but available facilities have not expanded sufficiently to provide a comprehensive service immediately.
Health boards have been notified of their non-capital revenue allocation for 1989 last week and the voluntary hospitals will be advised of their allocations within a few days. Officials of my Department will be meeting with health board and hospital managements to discuss their plans for containing expenditure within allocation. Hospitals will be asked to re-examine priorities and where long waiting lists exist to make efforts to ensure that unnecessary delays in treating patients do not occur.
Hospital management and medical staff have been encouraged to be innovative in their approach to the delivery of services to the public. Increased emphasis on the use of day medical and surgical techniques in hospitals has resulted in increased patient throughput leaving more beds available for those treatments which still require in-patient facilities.