§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give (a) the total gross expenditure on the National Health Service, (b) capital expenditure on hospitals and community health services for each year since 1974–75 in cash terms and adjusted by (i) the gross domestic product deflator, (ii) the National Health Service pay and prices index and (iii) taking account of demographic factors, with special regard to the needs of the elderly.
§ Mr. John MacKayThe information is as follows:
Total gross NHS expenditure £ million cash Adjusted by the GDP deflator Adjusted by the NHS pay and price index 1974–75 453 1,532 1,666 1975–76 596 1,604 1,708 1976–77 676 1,607 1,715 1977–78 768 1,603 1,719 1978–79 882 1,664 1,842 1979–80 1,053 1,700 1,838 1980–81 1,330 1,810 1,827 1981–82 1,519 1,881 1,916 1982–83 1,648 1,903 1,933 1983–84 1,758 1,943 1,964 1984–85 1,885 1,998 1,989 1985–86 1,997 1,997 1,997
Hospitals and community health services: gross capital expenditure £ million cash Adjusted by the GDP deflator Adjusted by the NHS pay and price index 1974–75 30 101 99 1975–76 39 105 99
1985 1986 July–September October–December January–March April–June July–September Million Prescriptions Dispensed 8.69 9.50 9.05 9.16 9.04 Percentage Percentage exempt from prescription charges 80 81 81 82 82 £ million Total Gross cost 44.04 49.62 46.78 48.78 49.11 Less: Prescription charges paid by patients 3.42 3.66 3.50 3.71 .67 Total net cost 40.62 45.96 43.28 45.07 45.44 £ Average Gross Cost Per Prescription 5.7 5.22 5.17 5.33 5.43 Prepayment certificates sold in Scotland in the financial year 1985–86 were as follows:
396W
Number of certificates issued Thousands 4 monthly 29 Annual 38 £ million Total income from sale of certificates 1.48
£ million cash Adjusted by the GDP deflator Adjusted the NHS pay and price index 1976–77 37 88 84 1977–78 38 79 75 1978–79 51 96 90 1979–80 58 94 85 1980–81 59 80 69 1981–82 84 104 75 1982–83 92 106 102 1983–84 99 109 108 1984–85 106 112 112 1985–86 120 120 120 Note: Separate NHS pay and price factors are not available for Scotland. The factors used are those maintained by DHSS for England.
Information is not available about the cost to the NHS programme as a whole of meeting demand from demographic change. Average growth of demand on hospital and community health services caused by demographic factors over the period since 1974–75 is assessed at about 0.5 per cent. per annum.