§ Mr. Forresterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the current weekly cost per in-patient for children in mental handicap hospitals.
§ Mr. MoyleI regret that the costs of keeping children in hospital are not separately identified in the hospital costing returns.
§ Dr. M. S. Millerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the current in-patient cost per week for (a) a general hospital and (b) a teaching hospital.
§ Mr. MoyleThe most relevant type of hospital included in the classifications used for costing purposes is the acute hospital with more than 100 beds. For the year ended 31st March 1977, the latest for which costing returns have been received, the average costs per in-patient week in hospitals of this type in England have been provisionally assessed as follows:—
These figures are subject to revision when the calculations for 1976–77 have been finalised.
All hospitals of type … … £244 Teaching hospitals of type … … £298
§ Miss Boothroydasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many psychiatric patients discharged from hospital each year are considered to need some form of sheltered employment.
§ Mr. MoyleThis information is not available. We are considering with the help of a feasibility study whether to ask the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys to mount a national survey of discharged psychiatric patients, and this might throw some light on the scale of day care and employment requirements.