§ Mr. Robert Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the average cost to the National Health Service and to the private patient of providing pay beds under Part I, Section 1, of the Health Services and Public Health Act. 1968, including the cost of ancillary services, in 1970.
§ Mr. Gordon Campbell:The charges to private patients represent the full estimated cost of providing the accommodation and treatment, averaged over hospitals in the same statistical classification, including an element in respect of capital, but excluding any costs attributable to laboratory services since these cannot readily be related to individual hospitals.
The average cost to private patients in Scotland in the year 1970-71 was £7.22 per day, representing a total income from this source of £398,876 and an occupancy of 55,212 bed days.