§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will compare the cost of a consultation with a general practitioner to the cost of an attendance at an outpatient clinic.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe average cost of an attendance by outpatients in 1982–83 was about £22, including the relevant share of the costs of other hospital departments such as pathology, radiology and radiotherapy but excluding the costs of accident and emergency departments. The average cost of a consultation with a general practitioner, based on a figure of about 180 million consultations (including telephone consultations) derived from general household survey indicators, in 1982–83 is estimated at nearly £12. This cannot, however, be compared with the outpatient cost since it excludes the costs of the support services provided by hospital diagnostic departments and community nursing services.
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