§ Sir John Farrasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is the spending per capita in the Leicester health authority area at the latest available date; and what is the comparable figure for the other health authorities within the Trent region;
(2) what is the spending per capita in the Trent region at the latest available date; and what is the comparable level of spending in the other regions of England and Wales.
§ Mr. Hayhoe[pursuant to his reply, 9 May 1986, c. 290.]: The tables show health authority revenue expenditure per head of resident population in 1984-85 for each regional health authority in England and for each district health authority in the Trent region.
Expenditure per capita is not the best basis for comparison between health authorities, as it does not reflect the greater demands made on health services by the very young and by elderly people, or the differing patterns of morbidity across the country. Nor does it take account of patient flows across health authority boundaries. In allocating resources to regions, the Department "weights" regional populations to take account of each region's age 68W and sex distribution, and of its relative mortality (as a proxy for morbidity). The population figures are also adjusted to take account of patient flows between regions for treatment. Column (2) of table 1 shows expenditure in each region in 1984–85 relative to the "weighted" population data used for resource allocations for that year.
Comparable data on district populations are not available centrally, but my hon. Friend may like to approach the chairman of the Trent regional health authority for further details.
Table 1 Region (1) Revenue Spending per capita 1984–5 (2) Revenue Spending per head of weighted population 1984–85 £ £ Northern 189.73 182.05 Yorkshire 182.72 182.14 Trent 172.69 183.97 East Anglian 172.87 181.63 North west Thames 202.01 212.11 North east Thames 235.75 216.92 South east Thames 214.75 208.56 South west Thames 198.48 204.49 Wessex 170.88 183.06 Oxford 158.79 190.13 South Western 182.72 179.47 West Midlands 177.60 182.61 Mersey 199.05 188.08 North Western 203.79 183.96 All England 191.00 191.00 Notes
1. The table excludes extra provision made for certain specialist services.
2. Comparable data are not available for Wales.
Table 2 Trent RHA Districts Revenue Spending per capita, 1984–85 N. Derbyshire 105.50 S. Derbyshire 160.10 Leicestershire 157.53 N. Lincolnshire 191.61 S. Lincolnshire 134.01 Bassetlaw 124.07 C Nottinghamshire 153.77 Nottingham 206.19 Barnsley 138.34 Doncaster 149.62 Rotherham 126.42 Sheffield 255.83 All Districts 168.07 Notes
1. Table excludes expenditure on regionally provided services.
2. Comparisons between expenditure per head of resident population as shown in the table need careful interpretation as patient flows across health authority boundaries for treatment are significant at district level.