§ Mr. Kirkwoodasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the cost of a National Health Service pathology test for (a) bone marrow typing, (b) cervical cancer and (c) acquired immune deficiency syndrome.
§ Mrs. CurrieThese costs are not identified in health authority accounts. Estimates of a typical cost are: 405W
- (a) Bone marrow typing—up to £25. A donor normally requires only one test; a recipient may need several tests.
- (b) Cervical cancer—£2 to £4.
- (c) AIDS—£1.35 with the Blood Transfusion Service and £3 with the Public Health Laboratory Service. A high volume of HIV antibody tests are done by the BTS; this lowers the unit cost. Most other tests are done in PHLS laboratories where lower volume increases unit costs.