NHS Management Costs

HL Deb 10 March 2003 vol 645 c159WA

Lord Lipsey

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will publish the statistical basis for the Secretary of State for Health's statement in his speech on 5 February that National Health Service management costs are falling. [HL1922]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

Information on National Health Service management costs is published and available in the NHS annual financial management accounts.

Management costs as a percentage of NHS expenditure during the period 1998–99 to 2001–02 are set out as follows:

• NHS management costs 1998–99 were £1,833 billion (5 per cent of NHS expenditure)
• NHS management costs 1999–2000 were £1,783 billion (4.4 per cent of NHS expenditure)
• NHS management costs 2000–01 were £1,867 billion (4.2 per cent of NHS expenditure)
• NHS management costs 2001–02 were £1,992 billion (4 per cent of NHS expenditure)