HC Deb 27 February 1995 vol 255 cc417-8W
Mrs. Beckett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the efficiency rating of the NHS in relation to other EU health services.

Mr. Malone

Between 1978–79 and 1992–93, hospital and community health services' efficiency in England increased by over a fifth. Data on health services in other European Union countries are available in "OECD Health Systems", Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development 1993.

We share the judgment of OECD, whose latest "Economic Survey", July 1994, points out that the national health service was, and is, a remarkably cost effective institution and that it achieves "comparable health outcomes" with other large OECD countries.