§ Mr. Cormackasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average cost of providing a new hospital bed; and how this compares with the average cost of a bed in a new prefabricated unit.
§ Mr. AlisonThe cost per bed varies greatly depending on the type of hospital and the services provided. £8,000 (excluding the cost of land, fees and equipment) is the average cost of a bed in a typical district general hospital. Prefabricated units are being used for the temporary relief of overcrowding at some mental illness hospitals at a current average cost per bed of £1,000, which is aproximately 2/5ths of the cost of providing a comparable bed for mental illness in permanent construction. The cost of a prefabricated general practitioner maternity unit with all services, such as was suggested by my hon. Friend in the debate on 13th July, is likely to be at least £5,000 per bed, but I must point out that other important considerations would have to be taken into account 279W before such a solution could be adopted.—[Vol. 803, c. 1214–15.]