§ Mr. Lathamasked the Secretary of State for Social Services why he is seeking to impose a clawback upon pharmacists who were not in business as pharmacists between October 1980 and July 1983; and whether he will make arrangements to prevent financial disadvantage to them.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeArrangements for recovering over-reimbursement of drug costs from October 1980 to July 1983 inclusive were agreed with the pharmacists' negotiators, the pharmaceutical services negotiating committee—PSNC. A discount surcharge scale has been applied to reimbursement for drugs used in prescriptions dispensed on and after 1 August. Because the pharmacists' contract with the NHS includes a provision for averaging the recovery of discount, pharmacists who ceased business
Number of Staff (WTE) as at 30 September—England 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 Home Helps* 44,692.9 44,660.1 46,636.7 46,541.3 47,208.3 Health Visitors 8,670 9,010 8,890 9,240 9,500 Community nurses 13,190 13,740 13,900 14,520 14,900 Social Workers 22,163.0 22,733.6 22,491.4 22,950.7 23,111.7 * Does not include home help organisers.
1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 million million million million million Number of meals served during year ending 31 March 41.1 40.9 41.7 41.4 40.3
§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what, according to the latest figures available, is the number of (i) home helps, (ii) health visitors, (iii) community nurses, (iv) meals on wheels workers and (v) social workers, all in whole-time equivalents, in each local authority; what, in each case, is the ratio per 1,000 elderly people over 65 years in that local authority; and what were the equivalent figures in 1978–79.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeInformation in the form requested is not readily available. I will provide the information relating to local authority staff from returns submitted to the Department as soon as it can be assembled. The hon. Member may find it useful to consult the personal social services statistics for the years in question published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, for population figures, number82W before August 1983 may have retained the benefit of I he discounts they received, while those who took their place may be paying for discounts which they did not receive. In the past the pendulum has swung the other way, benefiting newer pharmacies at the expense of their predecessors. Nevertheless, we have undertaken to consider any representations which the PSNC decides to make on this matter.