HL Deb 02 May 2002 vol 634 cc146-7WA
Baroness Noakes

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What proportion of National Health Service (a) acute activity and (b) non-acute activity is covered by health resource groups. [HL3981]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

Healthcare resource groups (HRGs) are one of a series of activity measures used as the basis of reference costs. In the 2000–01 financial year, reference costs covered £21 billion of National Health Service expenditure, accounting for approximately 83 per cent. of hospital and community health services expenditure.

HRGs are used primarily for inpatient and day case activity, a limited range of outpatient activity and accident and emergency services. HRGs are also available for some specialised services, for example radiotherapy, but with the development of specialist commissioning some of the HRGs have been superseded to reflect changes in clinical practice, for example bone marrow transplantation. Where these refinements have been introduced, the aim is better to reflect the differences in cost due to casemix.

Overall, 53 per cent. of hospital and community health services and 64 per cent. of reference costs were covered by HRGs and these refinements in 2001–02.

Although HRGs have not been introduced for a range of non-acute services, some non-HRG refinements are planned better to reflect differences in caseload and casemix (for example nursing services for children in 2003).

As with any initiative, the level of coverage is iterative and reference costs are expected to cover 100 per cent. of all hospital and community health services by 2004, although some elements will not be fully casemix adjusted by this date.