§ Lord Dean of Beswickasked Her Majesty's Government:
How much has so far been spent by the National Health Service on computers and back-up equipment in the regional and area health authorities.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Cumberlege)Expenditure incurred by health authorities on computers and related costs became separately identifiable in their annual accounts from 1983–84.
Figures derived from annual accounts for the financial years 1983–84 to 1990–91 and which cover all relevant expenditure incurred by the health authorities in their management and direct provision of all hospital and community health services (HCHS) are shown in the table.
Information for 1991–92 (derivable from annual financial returns rather than accounts) is not yet available.
72WA
Hospital and community health services (HCHS)—expenditure on computers and computing Revenue Purchase of hardware and operational software Revenue Maintenance of hardware and software (including licensing fees) Revenue Contract services Capital Purchase of hardware and operational software £000s (cash) £000 (cash) £000 (cash) £000 (cash) 1983–84 6,311 5,715 2,980 21,335 1984–85 9,658 7,469 4,750 35,523 1985–86 12,414 11,198 5,618 47,175 1986–87 16,347 15,365 9,041 65,025 1987–88 19,657 23,129 7,576 68,892 1988–89 29,603 28,893 8,800 62,465 1989–90 41,357 32,261 13,091 94,522 1990–91 61,538 44,216 28,809 119,233 Source: Annual accounts of regional and district health authorities in England and those of the special health authorities for the London postgraduate teaching hospitals.
Notes:
1. HCHS covers all services directly managed or accounted for by the health authorities, including hospital, community health, patient transport (i.e. ambulance), blood transfusion and other services.
2. Revenue "purchases" may include elements for rent and leasing. There is some discontinuity in the series of figures for "maintenance" and "contract services" as, since 1987–88, the latter category is intended to include only expenditure incurred on contracts for data processing services.
3. The table excludes the comparitively small costs incurred by family health services authorities and special health authorities providing central services to the National Health Service.