§ Ms PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will estimate the savings obtainable if all drugs were prescribed generically.
538W
Formal admissions to NHS facilities, Private Nursing Homes (authorised to detain patients under the Registered Homes Act 1984) and Special Hospitals of patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 and other legislation, by legal status England 1985–1989–90 England Numbers Legal status Numbers (a) 1985 1986 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 Males Females Males Females Males Females Males Females Males Females Total formal admissions (d) 8,153 9,134 7,904 8,792 8,004 8,773 8,247 8,993 8,614 8,698 Under Mental Health Act 1983: Non-offenders 2 (assessment, with or without treatment) 3,121 4,780 3,416 4,971 3,716 5,151 4,047 5,468 4,301 5,233 3 (to hospital for treatment) 943 1,161 902 1,075 1,193 1,349 1,322 1,535 1,437 1,580 4 (for assessment in emergency) 1,525 1,939 1,205 1,581 945 1,251 885 1,145 826 1,042 5(2) (power to hold informal patient already in hospital) 130 137 129 148 .. .. .. .. .. .. Mentally disordered offenders 35 (remanded to hospital for report) 114 32 158 43 188 46 240 59 230 54 36 (remanded to hospital for treatment) 28 5 26 7 31 7 28 1 33 5 37(4)(convicted person detained in a place of safety pending admission to hospital) .. .. .. .. 62 18 59 25 68 18 37 (convicted person sent to hospital for treatment with S.41 restrictions) (b) 157 22 150 20 230 45 175 41 194 41
§ Mr. SackvilleAn estimate, based on prescribing statistics for 1992 in England, suggests that savings of up to £80 million could have been achieved if all drugs which could have been dispensed in the generic form had been prescribed generically.