§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total annual cost of NHS prescriptions; and what is the total cost of items supplied by appliance contractors.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe total cost of national health service prescriptions in the family health services in England, including dispensing fees, amounted to £2,924 million in 1991–92, of which around £30 million related to prescriptions dispensed by appliance contractors.
§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what differences there are in the arrangements for paying appliance contractors and pharmacists.
§ Dr. MawhinneyFor dispensing appliances, appliance contractors receive a dispensing fee and payment of between 25 per cent. and 15.8 per cent. of the cost of the appliances, depending on the number of prescriptions they dispense in a month. Pharmacy contractors currently receive a dispensing fee, 2.5 per cent. of the cost of the appliances and various minor allowances. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave her on 30 October, at column941. We shall be reviewing the structure of payments to appliance contractors in the light of changes we are making to pharmacists' remuneration.