§ Ms. PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the(a) implementation costs, (b) annual running costs and (c) potential time saved per year for general practitioners, nurses, carers and patients in hours, associated with nurse prescribing.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe cost benefit study on nurse prescribing carried out for the Department by Touche Ross estimated that the costs of implementation would be approximately £11 million in 1991–92 prices. Running costs would depend substantially on the extent to which nurse prescribing resulted in an increase in the total drugs prescribed. The report made a central estimate of £15 million per year. It estimated possible theoretical savings of 170,000 hours of GP time per year, 650,000 hours of district nurse, health visitor and practice nurse time per year and 590,000 hours of patients' and carers' time. A copy of the report is available in the Library.