§ Mr. GalbraithTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the expenditure on ancillary services in the National Health Service in each year since 1983, at constant 1983 prices.
§ Mrs. CurrieInformation derived from the annual accounts of health authorities in England is shown in the table.
The savings which authorities have achieved largely reflects the success of the Department's policy requiring them to subject their arrangements for catering, domestic/ cleaning and laundry services to competitive tendering procedures.
Hospital and Community Health Services1Expenditure or Ancillary Services Per annual accounts £ million At 1983–84 prices £ million 1983–84 1,151 1,151 1984–85 1,143 1,094 1985–86 1,142 1,032 1986–87 1,133 992 1 Includes ambulance, blood transfusion and other services. Source: Annual accounts of regional and district health authorities and those of the special health authorities for the London postgraduate teaching hospitals.
Notes:
1. Expenditure on ancillary services lacks a precise definition but has been taken as total current expenditure on catering, domestic/ cleaning, portering, laundry, linen and non-ambulance transport services.
2. The figures have been expressed at 1983–84 prices by the use of the Gross Domestic Product deflator.