asked the Minister for Health if he will give a breakdown on the spending by the State on acute hospitals including spending on consultants, drugs, nurses in 1970, 1980 and the most recent year for which figures are available.
Written Answers. - Hospital Expenditure.
675.
Information on the lines requested by the Deputy is not available in respect of the calendar year 1970. The information available in respect of the nearest accounting year at that time, viz. 1970-71, is not in a form which would allow effective comparison with current expenditure breakdown approaches.
However, Table 1 which follows indicates the estimated cost to the Exchequer of general hospitals (including maternity hospitals) for the year 1970-71.
Table 1
|
£m |
|
|
Salaries and wages |
10.41 |
|
Food and provisions |
1.44 |
|
Drugs and appliances |
1.32 |
|
Building maintenance |
0.65 |
|
Other |
2.47 |
|
Total |
16.29 |
Table 2 which follows details non-capital cost to the Exchequer of acute hospitals in 1980 and 1982 excluding specialised hospitals such as mental hospitals, homes for the mentally handicapped, orthopaedic hospitals, maternity hospitals etc. The cost breakdown figures are based on actual costs in a representative sample of hospitals.
Table 2
|
Estimated breakdown of costs |
1980 |
1982 |
|
£m |
£m |
|
|
Medical and dental staff costs |
26.1 |
34.8 |
|
Nursing and allied staff costs |
66.7 |
89.2 |
|
Other staff costs |
50.45 |
67.6 |
|
Medicines, appliances and equipment costs |
24.68 |
33.01 |
|
Food and provisions costs |
7.40 |
9.89 |
|
Other non-pay costs |
32.97 |
44.10 |
|
Total costs |
208.3 |
278.6 |