§ Mr. Blenkinsopasked the Minister of Health what action he proposes to take to increase the recruitment of hospital pharmacists, in view of the recommendations of the Linstead Report.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodThe shortage of pharmacists is not peculiar to hospitals. I am considering what can be done to solve the problem in hospitals in the light of information I have recently obtained from them. A salary claim for hospital pharmacists is at present under con-
PRESCRIPTIONS (Figures for England and Wales) — Number of prescriptions Average cost per prescription Total cost d. £ 1953 October 19,199,466 47.02 3,761,153 November 18,512,492 47.47 3,661,862 December 18,491,706 48.94 3,770,436 1954 October 18,826,106 50.72 3,978,409 November 19,785,862 51.14 4,215,969 December Not available. 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.
DENTAL TREATMENT Month Number of completed courses of dental treatment under normal procedure (Note 1) Number of courses for limited treatment under emergency procedure (Note 2) Estimated cost to Exchequer £ October, 1953 (5 weeks) 538,000 171,000 1,250,000 November, 1953 (4 weeks) 454,000 144,000 1,050,000 December, 1953 (4 weeks) 385,000 126,000 900,000 October, 1954 (5 weeks) 583,000 185,000 1,400,000 November, 1954 (4 weeks) 474,000 146,000 1,100,000 December, 1954 (4 weeks) 428,000 134,000 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 over half bear no charge being for exempted classes of patients or for items of treatment to which the charges do not apply.
2. Courses for limited treatment consisting of extraction of one or two teeth cost under £1 and many patients may therefore be assumed to have had the treatment privately. Of the courses shown only about 5 per cent, bear a charge.
228Wsideration by the appropriate Whitley Council.