HC Deb 10 April 1987 vol 114 cc483-6W
Mr. Simon Hughes

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to answer the question on National Health Service hospital and community services from the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey to which he gave holding replies on 27 February, Official Report, column 449, and on 23 March, Official Report, column 82.

Mr. Newton

I replied to the hon. Member today.

Mr. Simon Hughes

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will provide figures for the change in real expenditure on National Health Service hospital and community health services for each year between the earliest year after 1974 and the most recent year for which comparable figures are available as measured using (a) the gross domestic product deflator and (b) the National Health Service pay and price deflator, by Greater London district health authorities in total, and by Inner London district health authorities in total;

(2) when he will answer the question on National Health Service hospital and community services from the honourable Member for Southwark and Bermondsey to which the Minister for Health the hon. Member for Braintree, gave a holding reply on 27 February, Official Report, column 449.

Mr. Newton

[pursuant to his replies, 27 February 1987, c. 449 and 23 March 1987 c.827]: Since expenditure on hospital and community health services forms part of an overall health service policy which seeks also to build up family practitioner services in the community, the table shows gross expenditure in 1985–86 prices as measured by the gross domestic product deflator, for: hospital and community health services, family practitioner services and community health and family practitioners services in Greater London between 1978–79 and 1985–86; hospital and community health services and hospital and community health and family practitioner services in Inner London between 1982–83 and 1985–86; family practitioner services in Inner London between 1978–79 and 1985–86.

Comparable figures for hospital and community health services in Inner London prior to the 1982 reorganisation of the National Health Service are not available. Information relating to Greater London prior to 1978–79 is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

It is inappropriate to revalue district health authority expenditure by reference to centrally assessed movements in NHS pay and prices as the composition of that expenditure can differ substantially from the national average.

It is important to set the figures in the context of a London population which has been falling (there was a decrease of some 17 per cent. between 1971 and 1985) and the policy of redistributing resources to areas which historically have been deprived of services or have high population growth. However, the process of change can present transitional difficulties in those Health Regions receiving less than average growth. For that reason we have established a special fund of £15 million in each of the years 1987–88 and 1988–89 to provide appropriate transitional help. The Thames Regions and London Postgraduate SHAs have been allocated £12.9 million from the £15 million available for 1987–88. This means that Inner London health authorities collectively can expect real terms growth over financial years 1986–87 and 1987–88 of the order of 2 per cent.

Gross expenditure1 in 1985–86 prices as measured by the gross domestic product deflator (£000)
Greater London Inner London
Hospital and Community Health Services2 Family Practitioner Services Hospital and Community Health Services and Family Practitioner Services Hospital and Community Health Services2 Family Practitioner Services4 Hospital and Community Health Services and Family Practitioner Services5
£ £ £ £ £ £
1978–79 1,981,618 391,645 2,373,263 3n.a. 153,109 n.a.
1979–80 1,995,687 389,693 2,385,380 3n.a. 153,303 n.a.
1980–81 2,178,856 406,154 2,585,010 3n.a. 159,262 n.a.
1981–82 2,209,495 425,382 2,634,877 3n.a. 167,572 n.a.
1982–83 2,180,987 451,141 2,632,129 1,221,102 178,199 1.399,301
1983–84 2,197,472 454,667 2,652,138 1,240,221 179,661 1.419,882
1984–85 2,191,632 481,043 2,672,676 1,231,395 189,493 1.420,888
1985–86 2,162,075 482,598 2,644,673 1,211,235 188,752 1.399,987
Percentage real terms growth 1978–79 to 1985–86 9.1 23.2 11.4 n.a. 23.3 n.a.

1Figures are based on total gross expenditure (revenue and capital) from the summarised income and expenditure accounts of area, district and special health authorities and family practitioner committees.

2Greater and Inner London have been defined as comprising the following health authorities:

  1. (i) Inner London health authorities:
    • 1982–83 to 1985–86
    • Hammersmith and Fulham/Victoria}(Riverside in 1985–86)
    • Paddington
    • Hampstead Bloomsbury
    • Islington
    • City and Hackney
    • Newham
    • Tower Hamlets
    • West Lambeth
    • Camberwell
    • Lewisham and North Southwark
    • Wandsworth
    • Special Health Authorities for the London Postgraduate Teaching Hospitals
  2. ii. Greater London health authorities
    • 1982–83 to 1985£86
    • Inner London health authorities listed at 2(i) above
    • Barnet
    • Harrow
    • Brent
    • Hounslow and Spelthorne
    • Ealing
    • Hillingdon
    • Barking, Havering and Brentwood
    • Enfield
    • Haringey Redbridge Waltham Forest
    • Bexley
    • Greenwich Bromley
    • Croydon
    • Kingston and Esher
    • Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton
    • Sutton and Merton
    • 1978–79 to 1981–82
    • Barnet
      • 486
    • Brent and Harrow
    • Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow
    • Hillingdon
    • Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster
    • Barking and Havering
    • Camden and Islington
    • City and East London
    • Enfield and Haringey
    • Redbridge and Waltham Forest
    • Greenwich and Bexley
    • Bromley
    • Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham
    • Croydon
    • Kingston and Richmond
    • Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth
    • Boards of Governors for the London Postgraduate Teaching Hospitals

3 Details of expenditure by district is not available centrally prior to 1982–83.

4 Inner London FPC and DHA boundaries are not coterminous. It is not possible therefore to measure FPC expenditure within Inner London as defined at 2(i) above. The definition of Inner London used in this column comprises the following FPCs:

  • Kensington, Chelsea and. Westminster
  • Camden and Islington
  • City and East London
  • Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham
  • Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth

5Comprises the health authorities listed at 2(i) and the family practitioner committees listed at (4) above.

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