asked the Minister for Health the allocation made to each voluntary hospital from his Department in each of the years from 1983 to 1986, inclusive; the percentage decrease in real terms each year; and the deficit on 31 December 1985.
Written Answers. - Voluntary Hospital Allocations.
86.
At present a composite deflator for health services costs is not available. Use of the consumer price index for this purpose would distort comparisons between the percentage changes in allocations from year to year for individual hospitals because of variances in the pay/non-pay ratios. Furthermore, there are factors which would tend to invalidate comparisons between percentage changes arrived at on the basis of a set of figures derived from the use of the consumer price index, such as adjustments to take account of changes in activity levels, developments in certain hospitals etc.
The average overall reduction in real terms in non-capital allocations for voluntary hospitals between 1983 and 1985, based on the use of the consumer price index as a deflator, was approximately 2.87 per cent. The 1986 allocation is at budget stage and is not comparable with the final allocations for earlier years to which the percentage change quoted is related.
In relation to the deficit in December 1985, it is assumed that the Deputy is referring to the excess of expenditure in voluntary hospitals over approved allocation levels for 1985. It will not be possible to provide this information on a definitive basis until accounts for individual hospitals for 1985 are available.