§ Mr. HoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give details of the total cost to the National Health Service of psychiatric care; and what percentage of the health budget, is attributable to such care.
§ Mr. NewtonIt is estimated that the cost of providing psychiatric care covering the treatment of in-patients, out-patients and day patients for mental illness and mental handicap patients was £1,555.5 million at 1985–86 prices, some 16 per cent. of total expenditure on hospital and community health services. Because of data limitations, this figure does not fully cover all community health service expenditure on this care group, neither does it cover expenditure on the family practitioner services.