HC Deb 01 November 1988 vol 139 cc810-1
6. Mr. Hunter

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the variations in efficiency between different district health authorities.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Mrs. Edwina Currie)

The actual cost per in-patient case in 1986–87 varied from £456 to £1,117 in non-teaching districts and from £699 to £1,334 in teaching districts. At least part of those substantial variations remain unaccounted for. We are certain that there is still scope for some authorities to make better use of resources to improve services to patients.

Mr. Hunter

Does not my hon. Friend's answer show the value of performance indicators in assessing relative efficiency and, further to what has just been said, that many health authorities still have a very long way to go to improve their efficiency in spending taxpayers' money?

Mrs. Currie

Oh yes. I am sure that my hon. Friend is aware of the Health Service indicators for the Basingstoke and North Hampshire district health authority, which covers his constituency. The average looks OK, but when we analyse them more clearly it is clear that Basingstoke's throughput is low, the length of stay is too long, the turnover intervals—the length of time that beds are vacant between patients—are too high and the length of time to clear the waiting list is too long. Basingstoke is being reviewed today by the regional chairman and no doubt he will take note of the figures.

Mr. Eastham

Is the Minister aware of the growing bad reputation of the National Health Service as a late payer? As a consequence it is losing discounts on purchasing equipment. Crumpsall hospital in Manchester is so short of equipment that even in the casualty ward there was a shortage of drip equipment. Is that the kind of thing the Minister thinks about when she refers to value for money?

Mrs. Currie

The hon. Gentleman has asked two different questions. I agree with the first part of his question. We do not regard it as a good idea to be late payers. Apart from anything else, that simply pushes up the price of the equipment that we have to purchase. I take note of the second part of his question and will contact him to tell him exactly how the situation stands.

Dame Elaine Kellett-Bowman

Will my hon. Friend ensure that districts such as Lancaster, which do well in performance indicators, are not penalised for the benefit of those which do less well, such as some of those represented by Opposition Members?

Mrs. Currie

My hon. Friend is right. The cost per case in Lancaster is £625, which is well below the national average. However, I hope that the Lancaster health authority will not be complacent and will ensure that it obtains the maximum amount of patient care for that money.