§ Ms SquireTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the net ingredient cost for preparations used in treatment of asthma, in total and per health authority, for each of the last four years. [10224]
§ Mr. GalbraithThe information by health board and Scotland for financial years 1993–94 to 1996–97 is set out in the table. The costs shown are based on the value of ingredients before the addition of dispensing fees or deduction of any discount or patient charges.
The cost relates to inhaled and oral adrenoceptor stimulants, inhaled steroids, inhaled antimuscarinic bronchodilators and theophylline preparations.
169W
Cost £ million Health board 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 Argyll and Clyde 3.206 3.575 3.867 4.120 Ayrshire and Arran 3.470 3.972 4.373 4.665 Borders 0.880 0.949 0.999 1.036 Dumfries and Galloway 1.078 1.195 1.293 1.412 Fife 2.377 2.627 2.892 3.122 Forth Valley 2.004 2.275 2.490 2.697 Grampian 3.546 3.960 4.337 4.643 Greater Glasgow 7.198 8.099 8.841 9.251 Highland 1.248 1.401 1.557 1.752 Lanarkshire 4.448 5.074 5.706 6.050 Lothian 5.237 5.652 6.091 6.461 Orkney 0.109 0.130 0.144 0.149 Shetland 0.100 0.111 0.128 0.141 Tayside 3.435 3.936 4.388 4.741 Western Isles 0.142 0.172 0.201 0.215 Scotland 38.478 43.128 47.307 50.455
§ Ms SquireTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of prescriptions for the treatment of asthma, in total and per health authority, for each of the last four years. [10225]
§ Mr. GalbraithThis information by health board and Scotland for the financial years 1993–94 to 1996–97 is set out in the table.
The numbers relate only to inhaled and oral adrenoceptor stimulants, inhaled steroids, inhaled antimuscarinic bronchodilators and theophylline preparations.
Number of prescription items thousands Health board 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 Argyll and Clyde 292 307 319 324 Ayrshire and Arran 294 312 321 322 Borders 79 83 85 86 Dumfries and Galloway 107 116 119 123 Fife 220 231 239 246 Forth Valley 190 199 205 209 Grampian 314 331 343 349 Greater Glasgow 675 709 736 747 Highland 123 130 136 139 Lanarkshire 413 434 459 467 Lothian 449 465 481 482 Orkney 10 11 12 12 Shetland 13 13 14 14 Tayside 274 286 293 298 Western Isles 16 17 18 18 Scotland 3,469 3,644 3,780 3,836
§ Ms SquireTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was the cost to the NHS of providing acute care to adults suffering from occupational asthma attacks in each of the last five financial years; [10226]
(2) what was the cost to the NHS of treating adult occupational asthma sufferers, in each year since 1989–90; [10227]
(3) what was the NHS expenditure on the treatment of asthma, in the last year for which figures are available; and what proportion of the total NHS budget this represents; [10231]
(4) if he will provide a breakdown of NHS expenditure on the treatment of asthma in the last year for which figures are available; and what proportion of this expenditure was on prescriptions. [10232]
§ Mr. GalbraithI regret that the information currently available from health boards and NHS trusts does not separately identify the cost of treating patients suffering from occupational asthma. The statistics we do collect indicate that the estimated cost of hospital care for asthma to be in the region of £7.5 million for the year 1995–96. This is 0.17 per cent. of the total NHS budget. Unfortunately, there is no information available on the cost of treating asthma in the community/primary care setting. Expenditure on ingredient cost for drugs used in the treatment of asthma is £47.3 million, again for the year 1995–96.
170W
§ Ms SquireTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the estimated loss of time from work caused by asthma in the last year for which figures are available. [10228]
§ Mr. GalbraithThis information is not collected by The Scottish Office. However, of some 25,000 employed adults from every part of the UK who responded to a survey conducted for the National Asthma Campaign in 1996, about time off due to asthma in the last 12 months, the following percentages were:
Per cent. Not able to work at all 9.0 More than five weeks off work 4.0 Three-four weeks off work 4.5 One-two weeks off work 7.5 Four-seven days off work 9.0 One-three days off work 15.0 Never off due to asthma 51.0
§ Ms SquireTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the expenditure on general practitioner prescribed anti-asthma medication and preparations in each health authority broken down to show(a) net ingredient costs and (b) net ingredient costs per capita in the last year for which figures are available. [10229]
§ Mr. GalbraithThe information by health board and for Scotland for the financial year 1996–97 is set out in the table. The costs shown are based on the value of the ingredients before the addition of dispensing fees or the deduction of any discount or patient charges.
The cost relates only to inhaled and oral adrenoceptor stimulants, inhaled steroids, inhaled antimuscarinic bronchodilators and theophylline preparations.
Health board Cost of medication £ million Cost per patient on GP list (£) Argyll and Clyde 4.120 9.39 Ayrshire and Arran 4.665 11.91 Borders 1.036 9.56 Dumfries and Galloway 1.412 9.21 Fife 3.121 8.80 Forth Valley 2.697 9.27 Grampian 4.643 8.59 Greater Glasgow 9.251 9.33 Highland 1.752 8.15 Lanarkshire 6.050 10.32 Lothian 6.461 7.93 Orkney 0.149 7.38 Shetland 0.141 6.12 Tayside 4.741 11.57 Western Isles 0.215 7.27 Scotland 50.455 9.40