§ Mr. Viantasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what payments have been made, either out of the rates or from Exchequer funds, to cover the cost of vaccination against smallpox since the operation of the National Health Service Act in July, 1948;
(2) how payments are made for inoculating against diphtheria, whooping-cough and for any other inoculations carried out under the Health Services; the total amount of payments for the materials used in these inoculations since the National Health Service Act came into operation in July, 1948; and how much has been paid out of State funds for carrying out these inoculations or for supplying local authorities with a record of the inoculations performed.
80W
§ Mr. Maclay:Vaccinations and inoculations carried out by general practitioners in the National Health Service are covered by their remuneration from capitation fees, etc. In addition they receive 5s. from the local health authority for each record submitted. No special fee is paid for vaccinations and inoculations carried out by medical practitioners employed full-time by local health authorities; those employed part-time are paid on a sessional basis.
The gross expenditure incurred by local health authorities in Scotland in respect of vaccinations and inoculations carried out under the National Health Service from July, 1948, to the end of March, 1957, is £598,000, half of which falls on the Exchequer and half on the rates. This expenditure is in respect of record fees, staff costs and materials not supplied centrally. In addition, during the same period my Department incurred expenditure for vaccines and other immunising materials issued free to local health authorities amounting to £111,000.
Separate figures in respect of the different vaccines are not available. Nor is the cost of vaccines dispensed by chemists on the prescriptions of general medical practitioners separately recorded.