HC Deb 26 January 1995 vol 253 cc343-5W
Mrs. Beckett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the estimated total value of charges levied on NHS patients for(a) dental treatment, (b) ophthalmic treatment, (c) hospital treatment, (d) hospital facilities, including television and telephone, (e) car parking at hospitals and (f) other items.

Mr. Malone

[holding answer 13 January 1995]: The general dental services charge income, net of refunds, in 1993–94 was £367 million. People who are entitled to a national health service sight test do not pay anything towards its cost. People not entitled to an NHS sight test pay for a private test, and all purchases of optical appliances are private transactions.

For information on private patient income for hospital treatment I refer the right hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State gave her on 13 January at columns 267–68 and on 20 January at column 766. Information on NHS 'charged' patients—that is, overseas visitors not exempt from charges for NHS hospital treatment—are given in tables 1 and 2. Figures for NHS trusts are not centrally available.

The income generated by amenity beds in each year from 1979 to 1993–94 is given in table 3. Figures for NHS trusts are omitted since these cannot be separately identified. Information on the net income for patient television hire and other non-medical services is not available centrally.

The information requested on car parking charges is not collected centrally.

There are no figures available centrally for any other items.

Table 1: NHS charged income (overseas visitors) regional health authorities
Region 1991–92 £000s 1992–93 £000s 1993–94 £000s (provisional)
Northern 168 100 75
Yorkshire 106 67 28
Trent 143 45 7
East Anglian 130 180 26
North west Thames 722 963 645
North east Thames 178 141 200
South east Thames 312 416 115
South west Thames 180 248 79
Wessex 113 145 145
Oxford 319 334 455
South western 148 42 16
West Midlands 189 153 89
Mersey 74 8 0
North western 74 121 171

Source:

Receipts and payments returns of health authorities (England).

Table 2: NHS charged income (overseas visitors) London postgraduate teaching hospitals
Special health authority 1991–92 £000s 1992–93 £000s 1993–94 £000 (provisional)
Hospital for Sick Children 0 0 0
National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery 0 0 0
Moorfields Eye Hospital 0 0 0
The Bethlem Royal and Maudsley Hospital 0 24 56
The Royal Brompton National Heart and Lung Hospital 0 0 0
The Royal Marsden Hospital 1 0.7 92
Hammersmith and Queen Charlotte's Hospitals 25 26 15
The Eastman Dental Hospital 0 0 0

Source:

Receipts and payments returns of health authorities (England).

Table 3: Income generated from amenity beds
Year Amenity bed income £000
1979–80 224
1980–81 239
1981–82 241
1982–83 369
1983–84 389
1984–85 345
1985–86 409
1986–87 454
1987–88 621

Table 3: Income generated from amenity beds
Year Amenity bed income £000
1988–89 764
1989–90 1,013
1990–91 1,260
1991–92 2,022
1992–93 1,776
1993–941 1,227
Source:
Annual accounts and receipts and payments returns for regional health authorities, district health authorities and London postgraduate special health authorities.
Notes:
The 1991–92, 1992–93 and 1993–94 figures are taken from the receipts and payments returns and are not therefore comparable with those of earlier years.
1 1993–94 figures are provisional