§ 69. Mr. Doddsasked the Minister of Health why general hospitals spend an average of 30s. a week per patient for power, light and heating when for mental hospitals it is only 10s. or less and in some cases less than 3s. per patient; and what investigations have taken place to ascertain the reasons for this disparity.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonThere are more resident staff in acute hospitals and the cost of services for them is proportionately much higher; proportionately16W more power and heat is needed in the acute hospitals for operating theatres, lifts, sterilising, etc.; and patients in the acute hospitals who are physically ill and immobilised require a higher standard of heating than those in psychiatric hospitals.
I am not aware of costs as low as 3s. 0d. per patient per week in 1963–64.