§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the annual percentage change since 1970 in actual input volumes for the hospital and community health sector of the National Health Service.
§ Mr. NewtonThe tables set out annual percentage changes in the purchasing power of total gross current and capital expenditure in the hospital and community health service in England since 1972–73. Figures for earlier years are not readily available.
Figures for current expenditure expressed on this basis do not give a reliable measure of real terms growth in the service as they do not reflect the increasing level of resources being released by health authorities' cost improvement programmes. Nor do they reflect the improvements in productivity which have seen the numbers of patients treated rising steadily.
Hospital and community health service, gross current expenditure changes after NHS pay and prices (per cent.) Per cent. 1972–73 4.6 1973–74 3.6 1974–75 14.2 1975–76 1.7 1976–77 0.3 1977–78 3.0 1978.79 22.5 1979–80 -0.6 1980–81 3.0 1981–82 2.0 1982–83 0.8 1983–84 0.0 1984–85 -0.1 1985–86 0.2 1 NHS reorganisation in 1974 incorporated community health services with the hospital service. 2 Figures from 1978–79 are on a slightly different accounting basis and exclude Family Practitioner Committee administration costs.
Hospital and community health service, gross capital expenditure changes after NHS pay and prices (per cent.)1 Per cent. 1972–73 17.9 1973–74 4.8 1974–75 -17.7 1975–76 0.3 1976–77 -2.6 1977–78 -22.1 1978–79 2.6 1979–80 -8.1 1980–81 9.1 1981–82 16.3 1982–83 1.5 1983–84 1.6 1984–85 8.7 1985–86 3.9 1 Including proceeds of land sales.