§ Mr. Roweasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about future National Health Service charges.
§ Mr. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make a statement about charges to operate in the National Health Service from 1 April.
§ Mr. FowlerI am today laying before the House Regulations providing for increases in charges in the National Health Service in England and Wales to come into effect on 1 April 1984.
The charges for prescriptions, general dental treatment and optical services and for private treatment in NHS hospitals are being increased as usual from 1 April to reflect the higher costs of the goods and services provided and to make a small contribution to the extra costs of running the National Health Service. Overall, these increases will provide an extra £37 million of income and will help us to increase total spending on the NHS in England by £600 million next year. As far as the family practitioner services are concerned, they mean that the contribution made by income from charges to the cost of the service will remain the same—at 10.7 per cent. The main changes are as follows.
The prescription charge will increase by 20p, from £1.40 to £1.60. This will mean that the charge still covers about one-third of the full cost of an average prescription. The existing exemption arrangements — under which more than 70 per cent. of prescriptions are provided free of charge—will continue. The four-monthly and annual season ticket charges will increase from £7.50 to £8.50 and from £21.00 to £24.00 respectively.
The maximum charge for routine dental treatment will increase by £1.00, from £13.50 to £14.50. Charges for more complex treatment and for dentures will be increased by varying amounts and the maximum charge will go up from £95 to £110. The existing exemption arrangements —under which about 45 per cent. of courses of dental treatment are provided free of charge — remain unchanged.
The charge for NHS lenses will increase by between 20p and £1.00, with the maximum charge being increased to £16.50. The arrangements under which children and low-income families receive free or reduced-price NHS glasses—and which account for some 35 per cent. of NHS lenses supplied—will continue.
The charges for private treatment in NHS hospitals will increase by an average of 9 per cent. In addition to general cost increases, the charges will in future take account of the cost to the NHS of handling blood used by private patients, and seek to ensure that private patients contribute a fair share of administration and capital replacement costs.