§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Eccles, on 8 December, he will now make it his policy to collect central information on the annual costs of acute, chronic and geriatric beds; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonNo. Substantial changes are being introduced from 1987–88 in the information about hospital services, including financial information, which is collected by the Department. These give effect to the recommendations of the steering group on health services information. The new form of health authority accounts will include information on the cost of treating patients in more than 20 different specialties or specialty groupings.
Information on the cost of a hospital bed is of little value by itself. Financial information, if it is to serve a useful purpose, needs to be related to the services actually provided—for example treatment given to patients. The changes we are now making are directed above all to improving the quality and relevance of information for management at all levels in the National Health Service.