§ Mr. ConwayTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average cost per 24 hours for maintaining an in-patient in a cottage hospital; and what is the equivalent figure for a district general hospital within the area of the Shropshire district health authority.
§ Mr. Newton[holding answer 23 February 1988]: For costing purposes, all hospitals are classified into a series of standard types which reflect the principal use to which their beds are allocated. Cottage hospitals and district general hospitals do not feature in this classification as such. However, for 1986–87 the average cost per in-patient day (England) for acute hospitals (1–50 beds) was £58.40; the equivalent figure for the Royal Shrewsbury hospital (739 beds) was £87.75.