§ Mr. Alexander Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the latest available figures for cost of food and drink per patient per week in mental hospitals, in chronic sick hospitals and general hospitals; and how those figures compare with the 1970 figures.
§ Dr. OwenNo classification of "general hospital" or "hospital for the chronic sick" is used for costing purposes, and separate costs of feeding patients and staff are not identified. The cost of provisions per person fed per week—patients and staff combined—in 1969–70 and 1972–73 in hospitals of the nearest types in England was as follows:
1969–70 1972–73 £ £ Mental Illness Hospitals 1.66 2.25 Mental Handicap Hospitals 1.44 2.18 Acute Hospitals with more than 100 beds 2.09 2.74 Long Stay Hospitals 1.69 2.20