HC Deb 15 March 1983 vol 39 cc150-1W
Mr. McNamara

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much of health services expenditure as an absolute figure and as a percentage for each of the past five financial years was spent on (a) the elderly and geriatric services, (b) community services, (c) the mentally handicapped, (d) the mentally ill, (e) obstetric services and (f) acute hospital services; what is the likely outcome for the current financial year; and what is his estimated expenditure for 1983–84.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

The following table sets out, at November 1980 prices, gross current expenditure on the hospital and community health services between 1977–78 and 1981–82 and the estimated expenditure on various specific client group services over this period.

The expenditure figures for particular services are derived using the methodology developed for the Department's programme budget as a basis for forward planning. As a means of retrospective analysis this should be treated with some caution. For example, hospital expenditure on geriatric, maternity, mental illness and mental handicap services has been based on the costs of treating such patients in single specialty hospitals. In addition, expenditure of generic services—for example, community nursing, family practitioner services—which benefit a number of client groups cannot be apportioned between them. These, and other problems associated wih using the programme budget methodology as a tool for monitoring past expenditure trends, are described more fully in the third report of the Social Services Committee 1980–81 (Vol. II. page 58).

Hospital and Community Health Services gross current expenditure England
£ million November 1980 prices
1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–81‡
Hospital and Community Health Services (excluding Joint Finance) 6,604 6,760 6,762 6,812 6,964
Acute Services 3,084 3,147 3,131 3,157 3,218
(percentage of total HCH) (46.7) (46.5) (46.3) (46.3) (46.2)
Geriatric Services* 600 629 623 642 655
(percentage of total HCH) (9.1) (9.3) (9.2) (9.4) (9.4)
Obstetric Services 349 344 348 350 360
(percentage of total HCH) (5.3) (5.1) (5.1) (5.1) (5.2)
Mental Illness services† 749 752 755 767 788
(percentage of total HCH) (11.3) (11.1) (11.2) (11.3) (11.3)
Mental Handicap services 346 351 350 351 357
(percentage of total HCH) (5.2) (5.2) (5.2) (5.2) (5.1)
Community Health Services 554 569 573 592 611
(percentage of total HCH) (8.4) (8.4) (8.5) (8.7) (8.8)
* Including expenditure on non-psychiatric day patients.
† Including expenditure on psychiatric day patients.
‡Provisional.

The breakdown by client group for 1982–83 is not yet available. The gross current expenditure for the Hospital and Community Health Services (excluding Joint Finance) for England is expected to be £8,180 million (cash) in 1982–83; the corresponding planned expenditure for 1983–84 is £8,660 million (cash).