§ Lord Smith of Leighasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the extent of overspending on National Health Service prescribing budgets for 2001–02 by region; and what factors have caused this overspending. [HL3603]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathThe following table sets out the prescribing budgets notified to the Prescription Payment Authority by each regional office. The forecasts are based on prescribing data up to and including January 2002 data.
Region 2001–02 Budget 2001–02 Forecast Outturn Estimated Overspend £ £ % Eastern 545,768,187 593,207,432 8.69 London 666,212,093 703,050,751 5.53 North West 781,108,913 858,061,781 9.85 Northern & Yorks 705,871,356 755,266,274 6.99 South East 860,125,542 929,845,669 8.10 South West 513,113,427 546,477,057 6.50 Trent 544,133,472 593,951,721 9.15 West Midlands 563,711,831 603,821,485 7.11 These forecasts are based on practice level prescribing budgets and as such do not necessarily reflect the total resource set aside locally for prescribing as primary care trusts, primary care groups and health authorities may hold contingency reserves. A range of factors, for example national service frameworks, newly licensed drugs and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence recommendations, affects growth in prescribing expenditure.