§ 3. Mr. Robert B. Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether there has been any improvement in the National Health Service activity rate.
§ 6. Mrs. Peacockasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of patients being treated in hospitals at the latest date for which figures are available.
§ Mr. FowlerAcross a broad range of services the number of patients treated has risen over the last five years. Comparing 1982 with 1978, the NHS treated nearly half a million more inpatients and day cases, nearly 2 million extra outpatients and emergency cases, and nearly half a million more people were visited in their own homes by health visitors or district nurses. The average daily number of hospital inpatients in England in 1982 was 280,000.
§ Mr. JonesI congratulate my right hon. Friend on his answer. Does that information not show that the reality within the NHS is very different from what is often claimed by Opposition Members? However, is it not the case that those figures disguise considerable variations between districts? Under-resourced districts within over-resourced regions, such as mine, are in particular difficulty because the growth in population is much more rapid than the shift in resources. Is it possible for my right hon. Friend to meet a delegation from the North-West Herts district to discuss this problem?
§ Mr. FowlerI am sure that my right hon. and learned Friend the Minister for Health would be only too glad to do that. I give that guarantee on his behalf. I have visited Hemel Hempstead and I know of the problems to which my hon. Friend referred. He is right. The number of patients being treated has increased substantially under this Government.
§ Mr. GalleyWhat additional resources from the productivity savings of increased activity levels have been identified for patient care, so that improvements in services are made for patients? Is it my right hon. Friend's 745 policy on incentive schemes for district health authorities that they can keep the proceeds of productivity savings to improve their local health services?
§ Mr. FowlerWe want to do that in principle. It was one of the Griffiths recommendations that health authorities should be able to keep the savings achieved by productivity improvements, and we shall certainly work towards that end.
§ Mrs. Kellett-BowmanWill my right hon. Friend take seriously the work that has been done by my hon. Friend the Member for Peterborough (Dr. Mawhinney) in unearthing people who do not turn up for outpatient appointments and those in hospitals——
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. There is another question on that matter.
§ Mr. MeacherIs not the reality of the NHS performance this year seen in the fact that the right hon. Gentleman's so-called 1 per cent. growth figure has already been cut by 0.25 per cent. because of his failure to cover all the costs of the nurses' pay award last week, that it has been cut by a further 1.5 per cent. because of the need to take account of the greater numbers of elderly people and the rising costs of medical technology, and that it will be cut by a further 2 per cent. if ancillary workers receive a pay award which is merely in line with inflation? Is not a 3 per cent. cut this year in NHS spending levels a resigning matter?
§ Mr. FowlerIt would be if it were remotely true, but, as always, the hon. Gentleman is extravagantly wrong. In real terms we have added 1 per cent. to the health budget. In their reports to us the health authorities have said that they can provide a further 1 per cent. We have asked the health authorities for about £36 million out of that £200 million to provide for pay.