§ 7. Mr. Fisherasked the Minister of Health whether he will estimate the extent of the saving in hospital beds during the past 10 years as a result of the innovations of the pharmaceutical industry; and what financial value he places upon this reduction in the number of beds.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonI regret this is not possible. New drugs are one of many 1044 factors which have contributed to the saving in hospital beds.
§ Mr. FisherWould the right hon. Gentleman be interested to know that I think I can supply him with documented evidence that more than 42,000 beds a year were saved between 1955 and 1964, and that at an annual average cost of just over £1,000 a bed this would represent a financial saving of about £43 million a year to the National Health Service?
§ Mr. RobinsonI shall be very interested to have any facts, information, or figures which the hon. Gentleman has, but I think he will be hard put to prove that this reduction is due entirely to the introduction of new drugs.
§ Mr. BraineWhy is the right hon. Gentleman so reluctant to seek this information when it is generally known throughout the medical profession that the pharmaceutical industry has made a dramatic contribution to the conquest of disease and the reduction of periods of illness?
§ Mr. RobinsonI have never denied this, but the hon. Gentleman should know that there are other factors—for example, earlier diagnosis, improved community care, more efficient hospital organisation and improvements in environmental hygiene, which have contributed to it. I do not underestimate the contribution of drugs, but I merely say that they are not the only thing.