HC Deb 16 November 1953 vol 520 cc124-8W
Mr. Blenkinsop

asked the Minister of Health the number and cost of prescriptions issued, dental treatment provided and appliances issued for which charges

PRESCRIPTIONS
— Number of Prescriptions Average Cost per Prescription Total Cost
d. £
April, 1952 … 18,427,875 Actual 47.57 3,652,346
May, 1952 … 19,204,714 48.54 3,884,468
June, 1952 … 14,130,079 49.92 2,939,237
July, 1952 … 15,345,737 50.33 3,218,417
August, 1952 … 13,983,786 50.42 2,937,524
September, 1952 … 16,167,528 49.21 3,315,284
April, 1953 … 17,422,000 declared by chemists estimates 50.93 estimates obtained from sample Not yet available
May, 1953 … 16,931,000 50.22
June, 1953 … 16,096,000 50.49
July, 1953 … 16,381,000 50.71
August, 1953 … 14,303,000 48.91
September, 1953 … 16,524,000 47.80

These figures include prescriptions for appliances ordered by general practitioners and dispensed by chemists, and prescriptions given by hospital out-patient departments which were dispensed by chemists because hospital dispensing service was not available. No figures are available to show the number of prescriptions dispensed at hospitals to out-patients.

DENTEL TREATMENT
Month Number of completed courses of dental treatment under normal procedure (Note 1) Number of courses for limited treatment provided under emergency procedure (Note 2) Estimated Cost to Exchequer (Note 3)
£
April, 1952(4 weeks) … 399,000 210,000 1,100,000
May, 1952 (5 weeks) … 599,000 295,000 1,600,000
June, 1952 (4 weeks) … 372,000 152,000 1,000,000
July, 1952 (4 weeks) … 361,000 124,000 900,000
August, 1952 (5 weeks) … 406,000 143,000 1,000,000
September, 1952 (4 weeks) … 366,000 117,000 900,000
April, 1953 (4 weeks) … 387,000 124,000 900,000
May, 1953 (5 weeks) … 534,000 163,000 1,300,000
June, 1953 (4 weeks) … 374,000 125,000 900,000
July, 1953 (4 weeks) … 391,000 132,000 1,000,000
August, 1953 (5 weeks) … 456,000 158,000 1,100,000
September, 1953 (4 weeks) … 429,000 137,000 1,000,000
1. The courses exclude those for the provision of dentures, to which the 1952 Act charges do not apply. Of the courses shown when the 1952 Act charge was fully effective over half bear no charge being for exempted classes of patients or for items of treatment to which the charges do not apply.
2. The courses for limited treatment which consist largely of extractions of one or two teeth usually cost under £1 and many patients may, therefore, be assumed to have had the treatment privately.
3. The 1952 Act charges were only partially effective in the months June to September, 1952 as the courses may have started before 1st June, 1952.

are imposed under the National Health Service Act, 1952, for the months of April, May, June, July, August and September, 1953, as compared with the same months of 1952.

Mr. Iain Macleod

The following are the figures for England and Wales:

APPLIANCES—SURGICAL APPLIANCES DELIVERED TO HOSPITALS
1952
April May June
Issues Cost Issues Cost Issues Cost
£ £ £
Surgical Boots/Shoes 3,575 31,285 3,554 31,110 3,136 27,440
Repairs to Boots/Shoes 6,949 5,210 6,487 4,865 6,193 4,645
Surgical Abdominal Appliances 6,068 21,240 6,187 2l,655 5,800 20,300
Elastic Hosiery 2,943 5,150 2,826 4,945 2,720 4,760
Wigs 591 7,535 623 7,945 537 6,850
1952
July August and September
Issues Cost Issues Cost
£ £
Surgical Boots/Shoes 3,478 30,430 6,196 55,00
Repairs to Boots/Shoes 4,895 3,670 5,656 4,250
Surgical Abdominal Appliances 5,797 20,290 9,326 32,640
Elastic Hosiery 2,474 4,330 5,033 8,300
Wigs 652 8,315 950 12,230
1953
April May June
Issues Cost Issues Cost Issues Cost
£ £ £
Surgical Boots/Shoes 2,892 24,550 2,655 22,600 2,289 19,200
Repairs to Boots/Shoes 2,653 1,725 2,606 1,825 2,294 1,440
Surgical Abdominal Appliances 4,398 14,235 3,896 12,570 3,908 12,490
Elastic Hosiery 2,198 4,620 1,804 3,775 1,811 3,765
Wigs 515 6,600 383 4,950 555 7,160
1953
July August and September
Issues Cost Issues Cost
£ £
Surgical Boots/Shoes 3,185 27,000 4,304 36,620
Repairs to Boots/Shoes 2,884 1,785 4,077 2,675
Surgical Abdominal Appliances 5,067 16,475 8,033 26,645
Elastic Hosiery 2,411 4,995 3,747 7,965
Wigs 598 7,655 916 11,915

1. The figures for repairs of surgical footwear include all types of repairs and are not related to soleing and heeling only.

2. The figures for surgical abdominal appliances also include all types of belts, some of which are not chargeable.

3. The figures for issues of elastic hosiery for 1952 are those orders completed (singles or pairs) and those numbers for 1953 are in terms of pairs.