§ Mr. Hicksasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated current average weekly cost of supporting a patient in a district general hospital compared with a cottage or general practitioner hospital; and what is the comparative cost for domiciliary care.
§ Dr. OwenDistrict general hospitals and cottage hospitals are not separately classified for costing purposes, and average costs are given below for acute hospitals having over 100 beds and acute hospitals having under 50 beds as representing possible equivalents. During the financial year 1973–74, the latest year for which figures are available, the averge weekly costs of maintaining patients in these hospitals, inclusive of all support services costs but excluding capital cots, were:
Acute over 100 beds Non teaching £108.19 London teaching £153.05 Provincial teaching £131.50 Acute under 50 beds Non teaching £76.27 These averages reflect a considerable range of treatment, and the cost of care for those conditions which might alternatively be treated at home is not separately identifiable.
§ Mrs. Chalkerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the most recent available figures for the average annual patient cost in hospitals in England of providing care in (a) hospitals wholly or predominantly containing geriatric beds and (b) in hospitals classified as long-stay.
§ Dr. OwenDuring the financial year 1973–74, the latest for which information426W is available, the average annual patient cost in England in hospitals of each kind was approximately £2,430.