§ Mr. David Priceasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average weekly cost of maintaining a spina bifida child in a local authority home as against the weekly cost of maintaining the same child in a National Health Service hospital.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisIt is not possible to identify expenditure on children with spina bifida who are cared for in either health or local authority accommodation, as the information is not collected in that detail.
However, for illustrative purposes, in 1975–76, the latest year for which comparative figures are available, the average weekly cost of maintaining a child in a local authority community home was just under £58. The cost of maintaining a patient in a long-stay hospital was £89. In addition, a child with spina bifida may also require frequent admission to hospital for operative treatment. The average cost per in-patient week in a children's acute hospital in 1975–76 was £235. Costs do, of course, vary according to the severity of the handicap and the age of the child.