§ Mr. Michael McNair-WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average cost of an operation performed within the National Heath Service; what is the cost of a day's stay in hospital; and what is the average cost of a kidney dialysis treatment.
§ Mrs. CurrieThe nearest available figure for the average cost of an operation is the average cost per inpatient case in acute hospitals in England. In 1985–86 (the latest year available) the figure was £718. This includes the cost of treatment and the cost of a stay in hospital. The cost of the hospital stay only cannot be quantified, but the average cost of a day's hospital treatment in 1985–86 was £101.
The cost of kidney dialysis will depend on a number of factors. On the basis of a study carried out by the Department in 1981, approximate average costs for the first year's treatment (revalued to 1986–87 prices) were as follows: routine hospital dialysis £16,500; home dialysis £13,200; continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis £14,000. The costs for treatment in subsequent years are likely to be less than those in the first year. These revalued figures do not take account of the changes in methods of treatment and case mix since the completion of the study. They therefore provide only a broad indication of present costs.