HC Deb 25 January 1996 vol 270 cc376-7W
Mr. Donohoe

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 14 December,Official Report, column 812, if he will list those companies currently operating health information lines on behalf of his Department, the value of the contracts involving these companies and the period of their duration. [11145]

Mr. Horam

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 22 January,Official Report, columns 13–14. The additional information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Donohoe

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 6 December,Official Report, column 227, if he will make a statement indicating the number of calls that have been made to the health information service on a regional health authority basis; and what has been the cost of operating and publicising the health information service to each of the regional health authorities. [11143]

Mr. Horam

Details of the number of calls received by the health information service, on a regional basis, since its establishment in April 1992 to the end of December 1995, and details of the cost of providing the health information service, on a national basis, for the financial years 1992–93 to 1995–96, are shown in the tables.

Number of calls received by the Health Information Service between April 1992 and December 1995
1992 calls received 1993 calls received 1994 calls received 1995 calls received
Northern and Yorkshire 13,415 16,394 60,358 73,958
Trent 1,665 9,366 14,571 32,009

Number of calls received by the Health Information Service between April 1992 and December 1995
1992 calls received 1993 calls received 1994 calls received 1995 calls received
Anglia and Oxford 1,716 10,674 16,499 28,998
North Thames 5,113 20,350 30,434 62,748
South Thames 942 14,603 18,397 57,923
West Midlands 1,545 8,370 29,394 48,886
North and West 17,059 33,107 82,541 102,637
South and West 5,839 17,893 21,398 50,028
Pan-Thames1 3,958 5,536 1,812
Total 51,252 136,293 275,404 457,187
1College of Health National Waiting Times Helpline—discontinued as part of the Health Information Service.

Cost of providing the health information service, on regional basis between 1992–93 and 1995–96
Region 1992–93 £ 1993–94 £ 1994–95 £ 1995–96 £
Northern and Yorkshire 288,201 260,000 276,223 346,120
Trent 177,181 137,859 149,637 155,193
Anglia and Oxford 268,000 268,000 308,000 308,000
North Thames 142,500 236,200 243,608 237,629
South Thames n/a 221,714 240,777 255,210
West Midlands 102,965 165,277 151,156 241,243
North and West 331,296 344,548 421,037 573,371
South and West 197,500 248,400 254,900 221,000
Total 1,507,643 1,881,998 2,045,338 2,337,766