§ Mrs. Dunwoodyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the cost in constant prices of (a)
£ million Family Practitioner Services Hospital and Community Health Services*† Year Gross cost of pharmaceutical services Cost of drugs dressings and appliances‡ Cost of drugs║ Cost of dressings and appliances 1971–72 782 611 118 ¶ 37 1972–73 814 637 125 ¶38 1973–74 843 658 141 ¶37 1974–75 849 658 134 89 1975–76 898 701 144 87 1976–77 962 755 158 96 1977–78 995 783 166 93 1978–79 1,013 795 180 99 1979–80 1,016 798 187 94 1980–81 1,005 789 186 85 1981–82 [...]1,009 793 192 84 * Expenditure from 1971–72 to 1973–74 relates to hospitals only but from 1974–75 onwards the expenditure for community health services is also included. † Cost of providing pharmaceutical services in the hospital and community health services is not separately indentified. ‡ Information is not readily available for drugs and dressings and appliances separately. ║ The index used to measure increases in the prices of drugs purchased by hospital and community health services changed during this period. Comparable constant price figures before and from 1977–78 are therefore not available. ¶ Excluding expenditure on patient appliances as this was not separately indentified. ● Provisional figures.