§ Mr. w. Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the total contribution made by the insured population to the National Health Service in each year since 1948 by way of the weekly insurance contribution; and, taking this sum, plus the service charges, what proportion of the total cost of the Service this represents.
§ Mr. NobleThe information is contained in the following table:
NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE (SCOTLAND) — Contributions from Insured Persons* Payments by Patients Proportion of Total Annual Cost (£ thousand) (£ thousand) 1948–49 3,094 363 12.39 1949–50 4,434 468 10.39 1950–51 4,133 491 9.38 1951–52 4,192 929 10.05 1952–53 4,075 1,984 10.71 1953–54 4,129 2,528 11.95 1954–55 4,104 2,681 11.36 1955–56 4,133 2,856 10.96 1956–57 4,152 3,065 10.48 1957–58 6,358 3,383 13.26 1958–59 10,258 3,444 17.54 1959–60 11,005 3,602 17.47 1960–61 11,316 3,714 16.23 1961–62 14,489 4,941 20.13 1962–63† 15,850 5,156 20.38 * Under Section 37 of the National Insurance Act 1946 a small proportion of the National Insurance contributions payable under that Act was appropriated towards the cost of the Health Service generally. As from 2nd September 1957 appropriations out of the National Insurance Fund were discontinued and from that date contributions towards the cost of the National Health Service were payable under the National Health Service Contribution Acts 1957 and 1958. † Provisional figures.
§ Mr. W. Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average number of patients per doctor in the National Health Service; and how many areas are still classified as being under-doctored.
§ Mr. NobleOne thousand, nine hundred and eighty-four patients; seven areas (Burntisland, Cupar, Castle Douglas, Beauly, Airdrie, Kirkwall and Polmont).
§ Mr. W. Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the 180W total amount paid by patients for dentures and dental treatment, respectively, in each of the last 10 years.
§ Mr. NobleThe sums payable by patients for dentures and dental treatment in each of the last 10 years were as follows:
Dentures Dental Treatments £ £ 1953–54 415,943 237,394 1954–55 473,619 249,145 1955–56 512,377 258,357 1956–57 565,137 272,182 1957–58 594,082 272,182 1958–59 606,199 282,993 1959–60 637,240 303,561 1960–61 669,918 307,983 1961–62 701,184 322,777 1962–63 694,879 331,125
§ Mr. W. Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been collected in prescription charges from patients in the National Health Service in each of the last 10 years.
§ Mr. W. Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland by how much the running expenditure of hospitals in the National Health Service has increased in the last 10 years; and how much of the increase was due to increases in prices and pay of staff.
§ Mr. NobleThe total increase in the running expenditure of hospitals in Scotland from 1952–53 to 1962–63 was £29.2 million; of this total £21.4 million was attributable to increases in prices and pay of staff.
§ Mr. W. Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the total National Health Service charges collected since they were introduced, showing each item separately but excluding local health authority charges, for each year since 1948–49.
§ Mr. NobleFor the years since 1952–53 I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him yesterday; for earlier years the following is the information requested:
181W
NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE (SCOTLAND) AMOUNTS COLLECTED FROM CHARGES FOR THE SERVICES SHOWN 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 £ £ £ £ £ Amenity beds in hospitals … 80,928 125,834 126,554 140,394 191,994 Hospital accommodation for private patients … 205,377 233,706 231,487 288,544 236,407 Appliances etc. supplied by hospitals … 98 10 178 2,313 9,229 Dental Services … — — — 147,103 539,589 Ophthalmic Services … — — — 252,730 369,943 Pharmaceutical Services … — — — — 462,190 Total … 286,403 359,550 358,219 831,084 1,809,352
§ Mr. W. Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the gross cost per prescription in Glasgow, in Edinburgh, and in Scotland as a whole, in April of each year since 1952.
§ Mr. NobleThe following table gives the information required:
April Glasgow Edinburgh Scotland d. d. d. 1952 62.5 63.5 62.2 1953 65.4 65.4 65.0 1954 65.1 69.0 65.3 1955 62.3 69.4 63.8 1956 69.2 74.0 67.7 1957 84.3 92.0 80.7 1958 90.5 100.7 87.7 1959 95.3 107.0 92.1 1960 93.8 108.1 93.3 1961 106.5 124.6 105.9 1962 115.0 133.9 113.9 Figures are not yet available for April, 1963.