§ Mr. Ian McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what was the cost to the NHS of providing acute care to adults suffering from occupational asthma attacks in the last five financial years; [25788]
(2) what was the cost to the NHS of treating adult occupational asthma sufferers, in each year from 1989–90 to 1994–85; [25786]
(3) what are the main drugs used to control and treat adult occupational asthma sufferers; and how much the NHS spent on providing them in each of the last five years. [25787]
§ Mr. HoramInformation is not available on the costs to the national health service of occupational asthma. The main types of drug used to control and treat all asthma, including occupational asthma, are anti-inflammatory drugs and bronchodilators. The net ingredient cost of NHS prescriptions is collected on a calendar year basis. The net ingredient cost is the basic price of a drug before discounts and the addition of dispensing costs or fees. The available information for asthma medication is shown in the table.
Year Net ingredient cost (£ million) 1991 260 1992 305 1993 349 1994 381 Information on the cost of other NHS services, including acute care, is not available for individual conditions. However, the Department has provisionally estimated that the cost of services for asthma was £150 million in 1993.