§ Mr. Kennedyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate he has of the total cost to the National Health Service which has arisen from the introduction and development of hip replacement operations; how many hip operations have been carried out since the introduction of the technology to the most recent date for which figures are available; and if he has any estimate of the actual and projected level of future demand for such operations.
§ Mr. WhitneyA reliable estimate of the cost to the National Health Service of introducing and developing hip replacement operations cannot be given, since the procedures and the prosthesis themselves have changed over the years. There are no separate figures before 1967 but it is estimated that, between 1967 and 1984, inclusive over 420,000 hip replacements were carried out. In 1984, some 38,000 operations were performed—an increase of over 35 per cent. since 1978. Existing levels of demand for this procedure cannot be accurately gauged, but demand is likely to rise over the next decade, as the elderly population grows.