§ Mr. Coombsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the estimated costs for the latest available year for (a) hospital inpatient care, (b) hospital outpatient care, (c) general practitioner consultations and (d) general practitioner drug prescriptions, resulting from coronary heart disease.
§ Mr. John PattenThe best estimate of the annual cost of hospital inpatient care in England resulting from coronary heart disease is £145 million in 1983–84 prices. This figure is derived from 1982 data; it rests on the assumption that the costs in any particular type of hospital do not vary with the type of patient, and it must therefore be regarded as approximate.
The latest available complete analysis of outpatient care and general practitioner consultations relates to the year 1971–72; it does not therefore yield a figure which we could with confidence assume to be true in 1984.
The cost of general practitioner drug prescriptions resulting from coronary heart disease is not available centrally.
§ Mr. Coombsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will establish a sub-committee of COMA to review the effect of sugars such as sucrose, glucose, maltose, fructose and caramel, on health and to make recommendations on desirable levels of intake for the whole United Kingdom population.
§ Mr. John PattenThe Chief Medical Officer's committee on the medical aspects of food policy (COMA) is an independent body established to give disinterested scientific advice on nutritional matters to the Secretary of State. My right hon. Friend does not have it in mind to request the committee to consider the question of sugar intake.