§ Mr. AlexanderTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Eltham (Mr. Bottomley) of 3 March, Official Report, column 851, what was the percentage increase of the(a) FHSA administration costs and (b) FHSA medicine costs in each of the last three years.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe percentage increases in family health services authorities' administration expenditure for 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93 over the previous year were 55.2, 30.8 and 19.1 respectively. The percentage increases in family health services drugs expenditure for 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93 over the previous year were 7.1, 11.4 and 14 respectively.
FHSAs manage the introduction of general practitioner fundholding, the monitoring of general practitioner prescribing, and the development of clinical audit in primary care—all initiatives to improve the effectiveness of patient care and value for money. In 1992–93 administration expenditure represented only 2.5 per cent. of the £6.5 billion of taxpayers' money spent on the FHS.