asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much of health service expenditure as an absolute figure and as a percentage of total National Health Service expenditure for each of the past 10 years was spent on (a) elderly and geriatric services, (b) community services, (c) the mentally handicapped, (d) the mentally ill, (e) obstetric services and (f) acute hospital services.
The requested breakdown by patient group is available only for hospital and community health services expenditure which accounts for some 70 per cent. of total National Health Service expenditure. The table shows estimated gross current expenditure by health authorities, in cash and as a percentage of total hospital and community health services expenditure, on the main client groups each year between 1975–76 and 1983–84, the latest year for which these estimates are available. Comparable figures prior to 1975–76 are not available.These estimates of health authorities' spending are valid for monitoring broad trends, but not for making close
| Hospital and Community Health Services expenditure (£ million cash) England | |||||||||
| 1975–76 | 1976–77 | 1977–78 | 1978–79 | 1979–80 | 1980–81 | 1981–82 | 1982–83 | ║1983–84 | |
| Geriatric services* | 269 | 311 | 356 | 410 | 489 | 649 | 714 | 763 | 804 |
| (percentage of total) | (8·7) | (8·9) | (9·1) | (9·3) | (9·2) | (9·5) | (9·4) | (9·4) | (9·4) |
| Community services | 260 | 294 | 329 | 370 | 449 | 598 | 665 | 728 | 780 |
| (percentage of total) | (8·4) | (8·4) | (8·4) | (8·4) | (8·5) | (8·7) | (8·8) | (9·0) | (9·1) |
| Services for mentally handicapped people | 162 | 181 | 205 | 229 | 275 | 355 | 389 | 419 | 437 |
| (percentage of total) | (5·3) | (5·2) | (5·2) | (5·2) | (5·2) | (5·2) | (5·1) | (5·2) | (5·1) |
| Services for mentally ill people† | 354 | 389 | 444 | 490 | 593 | 775 | 860 | 916 | 965 |
| (percentage of total) | (11·5) | (11·1) | (11·3) | (11·1) | (11·2) | (11·3) | (11·3) | (11·3) | (11·3) |
| Obstetric services | 167 | 188 | 207 | 224 | 273 | 353 | 392 | 427 | 435 |
| (percentage of total) | (5·4) | (5·3) | (5·3) | (5·1) | (5·1) | (5·2) | (5·2) | (5·3) | (5·1) |
| Acute hospital services | 1,455 | 1,653 | 1,833 | 2,052 | 2,459 | 3,163 | 3,505 | 3,745 | 3,958 |
| (percentage of total) | (47·2) | (47·1) | (46·7) | (46·6) | (46·3) | (46·2) | (46·2) | (46·3) | (46·2) |
| Other services | 414 | 495 | 548 | 631 | 772 | 958 | 1,057 | 1,087 | 1,182 |
| (percentage of total) | (13·4) | (14·1) | (14·0) | (14·3) | (14·5) | (14·0) | (13·9) | (13·4) | (13·8) |
| Total Hospital and community health services‡ (excluding joint finance) | 3,081 | 3,511 | 3,923 | 4,406 | 5,310 | 6,849 | 7,582 | 8,085 | 8,561 |
| * Including expenditure on non-psychiatric day patients. | |||||||||
| † Including expenditure on psychiatric day patients. | |||||||||
| ‡ As given in health authorities summarised accounts. | |||||||||
| ║ Provisional. | |||||||||
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what consideration he has given to the joint policy statement on National Health Service expenditure sent to him by the British Medical Association, the Institute of Health Service Administrators and the Royal College of Nursing; what response he is making; and if he will make a statement.
I shall let the right hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.