National Health Service (Expenditure) (Hansard, 7 November 1966)

§ Mr. Dean

asked the Minister of Health (1) if he will give statistics showing for the years 1950, 1960, 1964 and 1965 the proportion of the gross national product accounted for by expenditure on health; and how this proportion was

(a) Total cost of National Health Service as a proportion of gross national product—Great Britain
Financial years					Percentage
1950–51	…	…	…	…	4.06
1960–61	…	…	…	…	4.14
1964–65	…	…	…	…	4.25
1965–66	…	…	…	…	4.46

(b) Division of expenditure
	Expenditure expressed as a percentage of gross national product
	1950–51	1960–61	1964–65	1965–66
	Percentage	Percentage	Percentage	Percentage
Gross Cost	4.06	4.14	4.25	4.46
Services:—
Central Administration	0.02	0.02	0.02	0.02
Hospitals—current	2.05	2.12	2.17	2.25
Hospitals—capital	0.13	0.13	0.25	0.27
Executive Councils Service—Administration	0.02	0.03	0.02	0.03
General Medical	0.39	0.44	0.31	0.32
General Dental	0.38	0.25	0.23	0.22
Pharmaceutical	0.32	0.40	0.43	0.48
Supplementary Ophthalmic	0.18	0.07	0.06	0.07
Welfare Foods	—	0.12	0.13	0.14
Other central Government services	0.11	0.07	0.06	0.06
Local Health Authority	0.32	0.33	0.38	0.40
Local Welfare	0.14	0.16	0.19	0.20

(c) Sources of Finance
			Percentage of gross national produce
			1950–51	1960–61	1964–65	7965–66
			Percentage	Percentage	Percentage	Percentage
Exchequer	…	…	3.16	2.99	2.94	3.22
Rates and Exchequer grants	…	…	0.43	0.42	0.48	0.52
National Health Service Contributions	…	…	0.34	0.49	0.55	0.52
Charges to patients	…	…	0.05	0.23	0.27	0.19
Other income	…	…	0.08	0.01	0.01	0.01
Total	…	…	4.06	4.14	4.25	4.46

216W

divided between expenditure on hospital and consultant services, general medical services, dental services, pharmaceutical services, ophthalmic services, local health and welfare services, and any other services, with separate figures for private expenditure by individuals and expenditure out of public funds;

(2) what proportion of the gross national product was accounted for by expenditure on health in 1965, 1960, 1950 and 1939; and how this proportion was divided between expenditure from public funds and private expenditure by individuals;

(3) if he will give statistics showing the proportion of the gross national product spent on health in 1965 in Great Britain with separate figures for expenditure from public funds and private expenditure by individuals; and how these statistics compare with those for the countries of the European Economic Community, Norway, Sweden, the United States of America, New Zealand, Canada and Australia.