§ 81. Miss Quennellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects the Noel Hall Committee's Report on Hospital Pharmaceutical Services to be available to hon. Members.
§ Dr. John DunwoodyAs soon as possible after my right hon. Friend has received and considered it. We expect to receive it early next year.
§ Mr. Roebuckasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the shortage of hospital pharmacists in the Greater London area; and what steps he proposes to fill the vacancies.
§ Dr. John DunwoodyThe position varies considerably from hospital to hospital. On the second part of the Question I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mr. Goodhart) on 3rd November. —[Vol. 790,c. 17.]
§ Mr. Roebuckasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the extra costs incurred by the National Health Service in the last convenient 12-month period as a result of hospital prescriptions being dispensed by pharmacists employed outside the National Health Service.
§ Dr. John Dunwoody:In the year ended 31st March, 1969, the cost of hospital prescriptions dispensed by retail chemists was £. million for England and Wales, which is less than 7 per cent. of hospital expenditure on drugs exclusive of overheads and staff costs. It is impracticable to estimate what the cost of dispensing these prescriptions in hospital pharmacies 194W would have been, as this depends on several factors, for example the hospital's own pharmacy overheads and staff costs.