HC Deb 03 March 1961 vol 635 cc149-50W
Mr. Arbuthnot

asked the Minister of Health if he will give the breakdown figures of the cost of the services paid for by the National Health Service in the year ended 31st March, 1960, to the nearest £10,000 under the following heads: hospital and specialist, general medical, general dental, supplementary ophthalmic, local health authority, other headings—doctors' compensation, central supplies, etc.; and with respect to pharmaceutical services under the following heads: dispensing fees and payments to chemists, allowance to chemists for containers, chemists' overheads and profits, purchase tax, wholesalers' margins, appliances and dressings, payments to dispensing doctors, unbranded standard drugs, and ethical proprietary drugs; and if he will also give the separate figure for the cost of drugs to hospitals included in the hospital and specialist heading above.

Mr. Powell

The information is as follows:

Gross cost of the National Health Service for England and Wales for the year ended 31st March. 1960

£
*Hospital, Specialist and Ancillary Services 424,490,000
Executive Councils Administration and Dental Estimates Board 4,130,00
General Medical Services 66,370,000
Pharmaceutical Services 75,840,000
General Dental Services 50,360,000
Supplementary Ophthalmic Services 15,310,000
†Local Health Authority Services 68,310,000
Training Services, etc. 2,060,000
Institutions administered by the Board of Control 1,480,000
‡Liabilities arising out of the establishment of the N.H.S. 4,530,000
Superannuation 12,160,000
Miscellaneous 1,510,000
726,550,000
* Includes Central Purchases —£8,430,000.
Drugs —£11,200,000
(estimate).
† Includes payments of balances of grants to local authorities in respect of previous years—£2,240,000.
‡Includes Doctors' Compensation—£2,940,000.

Details of Cost of Pharmaceutical Services
£
Payments to dispensing doctors for services and for drugs, appliances and dressings supplied 2,520,000
Payments to chemists and appliance contractors in respect of:—
(a) Dispensing fees and rota services 13,330,000
(b) On-cost allowances 11,710,000
(c) Allowances for containers 1,440,000
(d) Cost of appliances and dressings 2,340,000
(e) Cost of prescriptions specifying drugs by standard names 9,370,000
(f) Cost of prescriptions specifying drugs by proprietary names 35,130,000
75,840,000
Notes
1. Payments to chemists at (a) and (b) above together constitute payments for overheads, professional services and profits.
2. The total of payments at (d). (e) and (1) includes an estimated sum of £620,000 in respect of purchase tax.
3. Wholesalers' margins are estimated to account for £6+ million-£71 million of the total of the payments at (d), (e) and (f); a more precise estimate cannot be made.
4. About 50 per cent, of the payment at (e) represents the cost of drugs ordered by standard names but available only in proprietary form.