§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost is per week of(a) keeping a person in hospital and (b) keeping that person in a nursing home. [15386]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 19 November 2001]: Based on final national health service trust accounts for 1999–2000, the latest published figures, the average cost of treating a patient in hospital is estimated to be £233 a day or £1,630 a week. Based on data provided by local councils for 1999–2000, the latest year for which data are available, the average gross cost of keeping an older person in a nursing home in England is estimated to be £319 a week.