§ Mr. Nicholas BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated daily cost of(a) accommodation and (b) food for hospital patients in each district health authority in England.
§ Mrs. Currie[holding answer 8 February 1988]: I regret that information on the daily cost of hotel services for inpatients could not be provided in the form requested without incurring disproportionate cost. However, the average daily cost of in-patient hotel services (including catering) in large acute hospitals was £4.89 in 1985–86 (the latest year available).
The estimated cost of feeding patients is not available by district health authority. The estimated cost by regional health authority in 1985–86 was:
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Region Total catering cost per patient/day (£) Northern 2.74 Yorkshire 2.77 Trent 2.81 East Anglian 2.94 North West Thames 2.83 North East Thames 2.70 South East Thames 2.91 South West Thames 2.66 Wessex 2.90 Oxford 2.76 South Western 2.74 West Midlands 2.75
Region Total catering cost per patient/day (£) Mersey 2.56 North Western 2.79 All Regions 2.78