HC Deb 04 June 1996 vol 278 cc382-3W
Mr. Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his letter of 1 April, (1) what is the estimated timetable for having available information on the prescribing costs for 1995–96 of each of the relevant categories of general practitioner; [31200]

(2) what was the average prescribing cost expressed as net ingredient cost per patient unit in 1989–90 and 1990–91 for those categories of general practitioners who had become by 1994–95 (i) non-fundholders, (ii) first wave fundholders, (iii) second wave fundholders, (iv) third wave fundholders, (v) fourth wave fundholders and (vi) fifth wave fundholders. [31203]

Mr. Malone

Data for 1990–91 are shown in the table. Comparable data for 1989–90 are not in a format suitable for analysis. Data for 1995–96 are not yet available.

3. For technical reasons, a proportion of items and their associated net ingredient cost values have been excluded from the data. The figures are comparable with those for later years quoted in the letter of 1 April, but are not directly comparable with national drugs bill data.

4. "All non-fundholders" refers to non-fundholders in 1991, i.e. all doctors.

5. The "Continuing non-fundholders" data represent those practices which have not become fundholders in the first five waves.

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