asked the Minister for Health if he will give details of the cost of the drugs refund scheme and the long term illness card in 1987; his provision for these schemes in the estimates for 1988.
126.
Vol. 377 No. 3
asked the Minister for Health if he will give details of the cost of the drugs refund scheme and the long term illness card in 1987; his provision for these schemes in the estimates for 1988.
126.
asked the Minister for Health if he will give details of expenditure under the drugs refund scheme indicating the number of monthly claims and the total amount paid in respect of these claims in the following ranges: (1) £28 to £32 (2) £32 to £36 (3) £36 to £40 (4) £40 to £44 (5) £44 to £50 (6) £50 to £60 and (7) over £60.
127.
asked the Minister for Health if he will give details of the expenditure in 1987 on the long term illness scheme indicating the amount claimed by persons suffering from different illnesses.
I intend to take Questions Nos. 125, 126 and 127 together.
1987 returns for the Drugs Refund and Long Term Illness schemes are not yet available. The most recent data to hand in respect of the schemes refers to the calendar year 1986. The total cost of each scheme in 1986 is as follows:
Scheme |
Cost |
(£m) |
|
Drugs Refund |
9.62 |
Long Term Illness |
8.62 |
The global provision for the schemes in 1988 is at the same level as in 1987 i.e. some £19 million in all. The following table indicates the profile of refunds paid by each health board in 1986 under the Drugs Refund Scheme.
Profile of Refunds Paid by each Health Board — 1986.
(as % of all refunds paid)
% rounded
Health Board |
up to £10 (incl.) |
over £10 less than £10 |
£20-£30 inclusive |
over £30 and less than £40 |
£40-£50 inclusive |
over £50 |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Eastern |
15 |
19 |
16 |
11 |
38 |
|
Midland |
17 |
21 |
15 |
12 |
9 |
26 |
Mid-Western |
18 |
20 |
17 |
11 |
9 |
25 |
North-Eastern |
14 |
22 |
14 |
12 |
6 |
31 |
North-Western |
15 |
18 |
17 |
12 |
10 |
27 |
South-Eastern |
19 |
22 |
17 |
12 |
8 |
23 |
Southern |
15 |
20 |
18 |
13 |
9 |
25 |
Western |
29 |
16 |
17 |
11 |
9 |
19 |
The refund profile returns are prepared by health boards on the basis of £10 refund increments, indicating the % of all refunds in each such increment. These cannot be readily recast to the particular increments suggested by the Deputy's question. Similarly, the total amount paid out in each refund increment category is not submitted by Boards. However, I attach a table indicating the total number of refunds paid by each Board, and the cost of the Refund scheme in each health board area, in 1986.
Health Board |
Refunds |
Cost of Scheme (rounded) |
£ |
||
Eastern |
102,866 |
4,808,000 |
Midland |
8,003 |
277,000 |
Mid-Western |
15,728 |
658,000 |
North Eastern |
14,138 |
630,000 |
North Western |
7,275 |
293,000 |
South Eastern |
20,716 |
730,000 |
Southern |
40,490 |
1,625,000 |
Western |
13,438 |
621,000 |
National |
222,654 |
9,642,000 |
The following table sets out the estimated expenditure for each condition covered by the Long Term Illness scheme, in 1986.
Condition |
Number of patients in Scheme 1986* |
Estimated expenditure in 1986 £'000 (rounded) |
Mental Handicap |
2,666 |
102,000 |
Mental Illness |
146 |
13,000 |
PKU |
309 |
994,000 |
Cystic Fibrosis |
704 |
645,000 |
Spina Bifida |
1,060 |
154,000 |
Hydrocephalus |
9,000 |
|
Cerebral Palsy |
903 |
60,000 |
Haemophilia |
191 |
207,000 |
Epilepsy |
11,895 |
968,000 |
Diabetes |
18,722 |
4,718,000 |
Multiple Sclerosis |
1,044 |
238,000 |
Muscular Dystrophies |
258 |
19,000 |
Parkinsonism |
1,441 |
401,000 |
Acute Leukaemia |
383 |
96,000 |
Total |
39,728 |
8,624,000 |