House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 18 Jun 2002 (pt 19)

Pensions

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by his Department on paying pensions to retired employees of his Department in 2001–02; if he will estimate the corresponding amounts to be spent in (a) five years' time, (b) 10 years' time, (c) 20 years' time and (d) 30 years' time; if he will estimate in each case the proportion of such liabilities which will arise from (i) unfunded pension schemes and (ii) pre-funded pension schemes; and in the case of pre-funded schemes, if he will estimate the value of the corresponding pre-funded funds in each of these years. [57371]

Ms Blears [holding answer 20 May 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 23 May 2002, Official Report, column 561W.

NICE

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what products have been (a) approved and (b) rejected for use in the NHS by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence since its inception. [58789]

Mr. Lammy: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) does not approve or reject products for use within the national health service. The role of NICE is to provide guidance for health care professionals and patients and their carers, that will help to inform their decisions about treatment and health care. NICE guidance does not override the responsibility of health care professionals to make appropriate decisions on the

18 Jun 2002 : Column 249W

circumstances of individual patients. However, they are expected to take the guidance fully into account when exercising their clinical judgment.

It is possible to place the technology appraisals published to date into the following categories:

Recommendation Number of appraisals

Recommended for routine use 11

Selective use 27

Research only 4

Total 42

Recommendation	Number of appraisals
Recommended for routine use	11
Selective use	27
Research only	4
Total	42

Scottish Executive

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many representations the Scottish Executive has made to his Department since May 1999, broken down by (a) Scottish Executive Department, (b) subject and (c) date; [59511]

(a)

(b)

(c)

Mr. Lammy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided to her by the Prime Minister on 24 May 2002, Official Report, column 601W.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of ordinary written questions for his Department were answered within a week of tabling in each month since June 2001; and what proportion of questions for named day received a substantive answer on that day in each month since June 2001. [58983]

Mr. Lammy: Available data ¹ are shown in the table:

Percentage of:

Month (current Session) Ordinary written questions answered within one week of tabling Named day written questions answered on day named

June 20 30

July 39 22

September/October 25 22

November 7 24

December 8 42

January 18 13

February 23 14

March 4 42

April 20 28

May⁽²⁶⁾ 31 32

	Percentage of:
Month (current Session)	Ordinary written questions answered within one week of tabling	Named day written questions answered on day named
June	20	30
July	39	22
September/October	25	22
November	7	24
December	8	42
January	18	13
February	23	14
March	4	42
April	20	28
May⁽²⁶⁾	31	32

⁽²⁵⁾ Based on 10 per cent. sample of the records

⁽²⁶⁾ To date

We are developing an improved database capable of providing more sophisticated analysis of information which should be introduced before the next parliamentary Session.

18 Jun 2002 : Column 250W

Land Sales

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the land that his Department is (a) offering for sale and (b) plans to offer in the next 12 months, giving its (i) location and (ii) size. [59054]

Mr. Lammy: No land held by the Department for its own use is being offered for sale nor are there any plans to do so in the next 12 months.

This answer does not include the national health service.

Press Releases

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many press releases have been issued by his Department in each month of 2002. [59503]

Mr. Lammy: The information is shown in the table:

Month Number of press releases issued

January 2002 40

February 2002 45

March 2002 49

April 2002 32

May 2002⁽²⁷⁾ 32

Month	Number of press releases issued
January 2002	40
February 2002	45
March 2002	49
April 2002	32
May 2002⁽²⁷⁾	32

⁽²⁷⁾ To date, 22 May

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many press releases were issued by his Department (a) in each month between May and December 1997 and (b) in each year from 1998 to 2001 inclusive. [59502]

Mr. Lammy: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Turner) on 20 March 2002, Official Report, column 436W.

Devolution

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to transfer the administration of reserved powers and functions of the Department of Health, its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies within its remit from the Department of Health to the Scotland Office. [59510]

Mr. Lammy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided to her by the Prime Minister on 24 May 2002, Official Report, column 601W.

Prescriptions

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) cost per head of resident population and (b) average cost per prescription was of (i) tranquillisers and (ii) anti-depressants prescribed by GPs in each health authority in England in (A) the most recent available year and (B) the previous three years. [59724]

Mr. Lammy: Information for 2000 and 2001 is shown in the table. Information for 1999 and 1998 was provided in a reply to my hon. Friend to a previous question on 17 July 2000, Official Report, column 79W.

The net integrated cost per head of population and the average net ingredient cost per prescription item for tranquillisers and antidepressants dispensed in the community in England by health authority, 2000 and 2001

Tranquillisers Antidepressants

Net ingredient cost per head of population Average net ingredient cost per prescription item Net ingredient cost per head of population Average net ingredient cost per prescription item

Health authority in which items were dispensed 2000 2001 2000 2001 2000 2001 2000 2001

Avon 2.5 3.0 5.78 6.95 5.8 6.5 13.91 13.88

Barking and Havering 2.6 3.3 7.82 9.68 4.2 4.6 14.43 14.40

Barnet, Enfield and Haringey 3.0 3.8 9.40 12.28 4.5 5.0 16.16 16.30

Barnsley 2.8 3.4 4.52 5.84 7.5 8.2 13.37 13.39

Bedfordshire 2.1 2.8 5.86 7.70 5.1 5.6 14.20 14.33

Berkshire 2.4 2.8 7.48 8.84 5.6 6.1 14.96 14.76

Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich 2.3 2.7 6.77 8.19 5.1 5.4 15.57 15.35

Birmingham 2.8 3.7 6.36 8.22 5.4 6.0 14.18 14.53

Bradford 2.8 3.5 4.05 4.71 6.4 6.8 11.60 11.16

Brent and Harrow 3.2 4.1 11.35 14.44 3.9 4.4 16.77 17.14

Buckinghamshire 2.0 2.5 6.40 7.60 4.9 5.5 14.53 14.59

Bury and Rochdale 3.3 4.2 6.05 7.63 7.5 8.3 13.57 13.75

Calderdale and Kirklees 3.1 3.7 5.53 6.77 6.2 6.8 13.80 13.56

Cambridgeshire 2.1 2.6 5.36 6.75 5.8 6.4 13.58 13.45

Camden and Islington 3.9 4.6 8.65 10.42 6.4 6.7 17.91 17.53

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 2.4 2.8 4.46 5.12 7.0 7.7 12.64 12.54

County Durham and Darlington 2.9 3.5 5.54 6.65 7.6 8.2 12.99 12.77

Coventry 3.7 4.5 7.27 8.66 5.2 5.8 14.24 14.13

Croydon 3.6 4.4 11.34 14.01 4.6 4.9 15.96 15.92

Doncaster 2.4 2.7 4.85 5.67 7.0 7.7 12.31 12.11

Dorset 2.6 3.1 5.52 6.58 6.1 6.5 12.67 12.40

Dudley 2.2 2.8 6.55 8.17 5.5 6.2 14.92 15.25

Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow 2.9 3.6 9.05 11.36 4.3 4.6 17.51 17.29

East Kent 3.5 4.2 7.50 9.39 6.3 6.8 14.74 14.77

East Lancashire 3.8 4.5 5.09 5.83 6.6 7.5 12.37 12.45

East London and The City 3.4 4.4 11.62 14.44 4.2 4.7 15.21 15.08

East Riding and Hull 3.0 3.4 5.94 6.92 5.6 6.3 12.55 12.38

East Surrey 2.5 3.0 7.00 8.30 5.7 6.2 17.55 17.39

East Sussex, Brighton and Hove 3.8 4.5 6.08 7.12 7.3 8.1 15.82 15.99

Gateshead and South Tyneside 3.0 3.6 5.93 7.15 8.1 8.8 13.91 13.59

Gloucestershire 2.2 2.8 5.26 6.34 6.7 7.3 14.98 14.91

Herefordshire 1.9 2.4 5.92 7.38 5.2 5.7 13.64 13.71

Hertfordshire 2.2 2.8 6.53 8.30 5.7 6.2 15.66 15.53

Hillingdon 2.0 2.6 6.38 8.10 4.0 4.5 14.36 14.32

Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire 2.8 3.5 6.91 8.12 7.6 8.6 15.44 15.82

Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster 3.3 4.0 9.67 11.75 5.3 5.6 19.09 18.92

Kingston and Richmond 2.5 3.1 7.22 8.60 4.9 5.3 16.30 15.97

Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham 3.2 3.8 9.95 11.93 4.5 4.8 14.60 14.45

Leeds 2.9 3.6 6.12 7.64 7.5 8.2 13.67 13.66

Leicestershire 2.5 3.0 6.76 8.15 5.9 6.4 16.03 15.64

Lincolnshire 2.6 3.2 4.83 6.01 6.5 7.0 12.19 11.72

Liverpool 4.3 5.3 7.10 9.02 8.3 9.0 13.99 13.93

Manchester 4.8 5.6 6.95 8.11 7.7 8.5 12.78 12.57

Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth 3.3 4.0 9.89 11.99 4.7 5.0 16.46 16.31

Morecambe Bay 3.3 4.0 5.45 6.53 7.7 8.4 13.56 13.25

Newcastle and North Tyneside 3.5 4.6 6.55 8.52 7.7 8.7 12.57 12.79

Norfolk 2.7 3.4 4.72 5.74 7.9 8.9 13.44 13.39

North and East Devon 3.3 3.7 6.44 7.11 6.2 6.7 12.95 12.96

North and Mid Hampshire 2.8 3.4 7.90 9.45 6.3 7.0 15.05 15.29

North Cheshire 2.6 3.0 4.54 5.31 7.1 7.7 13.49 13.40

North Cumbria 3.2 3.9 6.47 7.76 8.0 9.1 14.81 15.18

North Derbyshire 2.2 2.7 5.21 6.39 6.4 6.9 12.35 11.86

North Essex 2.5 3.0 6.03 7.33 6.0 6.7 13.49 13.46

North Nottinghamshire 1.9 2.4 4.36 5.47 5.5 6.1 11.36 11.14

North Staffordshire 2.6 3.3 5.13 6.62 7.9 8.8 15.07 15.24

North Yorkshire 2.2 2.6 5.38 6.52 5.5 6.0 11.93 11.84

Northamptonshire 2.4 3.0 6.49 7.93 6.0 6.6 14.36 14.15

Northumberland 2.8 3.3 5.81 6.71 7.2 8.0 13.16 13.16

Nottingham 1.2 1.3 3.70 4.44 5.9 6.4 13.41 13.14

North West Lancashire 3.8 4.8 5.70 7.24 7.6 8.6 13.25 13.36

Oxfordshire 2.3 2.8 7.15 8.76 5.9 6.6 14.18 14.01

Redbridge and Waltham Forest 2.9 3.7 9.81 12.49 4.4 4.7 16.20 16.31

Rotherham 3.2 4.2 6.00 7.81 7.8 8.7 14.69 14.47

Southampton and South West Hampshire 3.1 3.8 7.61 8.96 7.7 8.7 14.44 14.61

Salford and Trafford 3.5 4.3 5.26 6.51 7.9 8.6 13.23 12.95

Sandwell 2.5 2.9 6.60 7.73 5.9 6.6 14.55 14.90

Sefton 4.5 5.5 6.93 8.52 7.6 8.4 13.81 13.90

Sheffield 2.2 2.6 4.82 5.84 7.0 7.4 13.33 12.73

Shropshire 2.6 3.1 6.86 8.09 6.3 7.1 15.90 16.04

Solihull 2.1 2.6 5.92 7.40 6.1 7.0 16.10 16.56

Somerset 2.3 2.8 4.94 5.79 5.8 6.4 13.19 12.91

South and West Devon 3.4 4.2 6.18 7.49 6.4 7.1 13.34 13.51

South Cheshire 2.9 3.6 6.14 7.61 7.2 8.1 14.98 15.18

South Essex 2.3 3.0 6.11 7.92 5.5 6.0 15.11 14.79

South Humber 2.6 3.3 4.47 5.64 5.3 6.0 12.27 12.18

South Lancashire 2.6 3.2 5.57 6.86 6.0 6.8 13.26 13.61

South Staffordshire 2.0 2.4 5.40 6.55 5.6 6.1 14.53 14.20

Southern Derbyshire 1.9 2.5 5.15 7.03 6.0 6.4 14.72 14.34

St. Helens and Knowsley 3.7 4.8 5.59 7.33 7.3 8.4 12.48 12.93

Stockport 3.3 3.9 4.83 5.99 8.2 8.8 12.88 12.78

Suffolk 2.2 2.9 5.29 6.77 7.9 8.7 14.81 14.70

Sunderland 2.7 3.3 6.08 7.76 7.6 8.6 14.94 15.37

Tees 3.3 4.1 5.57 6.85 7.6 8.6 14.51 14.64

Wakefield 3.1 3.8 6.05 7.36 6.5 7.2 11.85 11.87

Walsall 3.2 4.0 6.73 8.81 5.5 6.0 13.93 14.20

Warwickshire 2.5 3.1 6.33 7.58 5.4 6.0 14.53 14.08

West Kent 2.5 3.1 6.25 7.83 5.6 6.3 14.66 14.73

West Pennine 2.7 3.2 4.42 5.33 5.7 6.2 12.65 12.47

West Surrey 2.4 3.0 6.44 7.89 5.8 6.3 16.50 16.49

West Sussex 2.7 3.2 5.92 7.06 6.6 7.3 14.99 15.21

Wigan and Bolton 2.8 3.6 4.82 6.15 6.7 7.6 13.04 13.39

Wiltshire 2.3 2.9 5.91 7.31 6.3 6.9 13.81 13.66

Wirral 4.0 4.8 5.51 6.65 7.9 8.6 12.25 12.01

Wolverhampton 3.1 3.6 7.93 9.07 5.1 5.7 13.76 13.66

Worcestershire 1.8 2.5 5.29 7.04 5.8 6.5 13.81 13.97

England 2.8 3.4 6.20 7.60 6.2 6.8 14.89 14.04

	Tranquillisers	Antidepressants
	Net ingredient cost per head of population	Average net ingredient cost per prescription item	Net ingredient cost per head of population	Average net ingredient cost per prescription item
Health authority in which items were dispensed	2000	2001	2000	2001	2000	2001	2000	2001
Avon	2.5	3.0	5.78	6.95	5.8	6.5	13.91	13.88
Barking and Havering	2.6	3.3	7.82	9.68	4.2	4.6	14.43	14.40
Barnet, Enfield and Haringey	3.0	3.8	9.40	12.28	4.5	5.0	16.16	16.30
Barnsley	2.8	3.4	4.52	5.84	7.5	8.2	13.37	13.39
Bedfordshire	2.1	2.8	5.86	7.70	5.1	5.6	14.20	14.33
Berkshire	2.4	2.8	7.48	8.84	5.6	6.1	14.96	14.76
Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich	2.3	2.7	6.77	8.19	5.1	5.4	15.57	15.35
Birmingham	2.8	3.7	6.36	8.22	5.4	6.0	14.18	14.53
Bradford	2.8	3.5	4.05	4.71	6.4	6.8	11.60	11.16
Brent and Harrow	3.2	4.1	11.35	14.44	3.9	4.4	16.77	17.14
Buckinghamshire	2.0	2.5	6.40	7.60	4.9	5.5	14.53	14.59
Bury and Rochdale	3.3	4.2	6.05	7.63	7.5	8.3	13.57	13.75
Calderdale and Kirklees	3.1	3.7	5.53	6.77	6.2	6.8	13.80	13.56
Cambridgeshire	2.1	2.6	5.36	6.75	5.8	6.4	13.58	13.45
Camden and Islington	3.9	4.6	8.65	10.42	6.4	6.7	17.91	17.53
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly	2.4	2.8	4.46	5.12	7.0	7.7	12.64	12.54
County Durham and Darlington	2.9	3.5	5.54	6.65	7.6	8.2	12.99	12.77
Coventry	3.7	4.5	7.27	8.66	5.2	5.8	14.24	14.13
Croydon	3.6	4.4	11.34	14.01	4.6	4.9	15.96	15.92
Doncaster	2.4	2.7	4.85	5.67	7.0	7.7	12.31	12.11
Dorset	2.6	3.1	5.52	6.58	6.1	6.5	12.67	12.40
Dudley	2.2	2.8	6.55	8.17	5.5	6.2	14.92	15.25
Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow	2.9	3.6	9.05	11.36	4.3	4.6	17.51	17.29
East Kent	3.5	4.2	7.50	9.39	6.3	6.8	14.74	14.77
East Lancashire	3.8	4.5	5.09	5.83	6.6	7.5	12.37	12.45
East London and The City	3.4	4.4	11.62	14.44	4.2	4.7	15.21	15.08
East Riding and Hull	3.0	3.4	5.94	6.92	5.6	6.3	12.55	12.38
East Surrey	2.5	3.0	7.00	8.30	5.7	6.2	17.55	17.39
East Sussex, Brighton and Hove	3.8	4.5	6.08	7.12	7.3	8.1	15.82	15.99
Gateshead and South Tyneside	3.0	3.6	5.93	7.15	8.1	8.8	13.91	13.59
Gloucestershire	2.2	2.8	5.26	6.34	6.7	7.3	14.98	14.91
Herefordshire	1.9	2.4	5.92	7.38	5.2	5.7	13.64	13.71
Hertfordshire	2.2	2.8	6.53	8.30	5.7	6.2	15.66	15.53
Hillingdon	2.0	2.6	6.38	8.10	4.0	4.5	14.36	14.32
Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire	2.8	3.5	6.91	8.12	7.6	8.6	15.44	15.82
Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster	3.3	4.0	9.67	11.75	5.3	5.6	19.09	18.92
Kingston and Richmond	2.5	3.1	7.22	8.60	4.9	5.3	16.30	15.97
Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham	3.2	3.8	9.95	11.93	4.5	4.8	14.60	14.45
Leeds	2.9	3.6	6.12	7.64	7.5	8.2	13.67	13.66
Leicestershire	2.5	3.0	6.76	8.15	5.9	6.4	16.03	15.64
Lincolnshire	2.6	3.2	4.83	6.01	6.5	7.0	12.19	11.72
Liverpool	4.3	5.3	7.10	9.02	8.3	9.0	13.99	13.93
Manchester	4.8	5.6	6.95	8.11	7.7	8.5	12.78	12.57
Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth	3.3	4.0	9.89	11.99	4.7	5.0	16.46	16.31
Morecambe Bay	3.3	4.0	5.45	6.53	7.7	8.4	13.56	13.25
Newcastle and North Tyneside	3.5	4.6	6.55	8.52	7.7	8.7	12.57	12.79
Norfolk	2.7	3.4	4.72	5.74	7.9	8.9	13.44	13.39
North and East Devon	3.3	3.7	6.44	7.11	6.2	6.7	12.95	12.96
North and Mid Hampshire	2.8	3.4	7.90	9.45	6.3	7.0	15.05	15.29
North Cheshire	2.6	3.0	4.54	5.31	7.1	7.7	13.49	13.40
North Cumbria	3.2	3.9	6.47	7.76	8.0	9.1	14.81	15.18
North Derbyshire	2.2	2.7	5.21	6.39	6.4	6.9	12.35	11.86
North Essex	2.5	3.0	6.03	7.33	6.0	6.7	13.49	13.46
North Nottinghamshire	1.9	2.4	4.36	5.47	5.5	6.1	11.36	11.14
North Staffordshire	2.6	3.3	5.13	6.62	7.9	8.8	15.07	15.24
North Yorkshire	2.2	2.6	5.38	6.52	5.5	6.0	11.93	11.84
Northamptonshire	2.4	3.0	6.49	7.93	6.0	6.6	14.36	14.15
Northumberland	2.8	3.3	5.81	6.71	7.2	8.0	13.16	13.16
Nottingham	1.2	1.3	3.70	4.44	5.9	6.4	13.41	13.14
North West Lancashire	3.8	4.8	5.70	7.24	7.6	8.6	13.25	13.36
Oxfordshire	2.3	2.8	7.15	8.76	5.9	6.6	14.18	14.01
Redbridge and Waltham Forest	2.9	3.7	9.81	12.49	4.4	4.7	16.20	16.31
Rotherham	3.2	4.2	6.00	7.81	7.8	8.7	14.69	14.47
Southampton and South West Hampshire	3.1	3.8	7.61	8.96	7.7	8.7	14.44	14.61
Salford and Trafford	3.5	4.3	5.26	6.51	7.9	8.6	13.23	12.95
Sandwell	2.5	2.9	6.60	7.73	5.9	6.6	14.55	14.90
Sefton	4.5	5.5	6.93	8.52	7.6	8.4	13.81	13.90
Sheffield	2.2	2.6	4.82	5.84	7.0	7.4	13.33	12.73
Shropshire	2.6	3.1	6.86	8.09	6.3	7.1	15.90	16.04
Solihull	2.1	2.6	5.92	7.40	6.1	7.0	16.10	16.56
Somerset	2.3	2.8	4.94	5.79	5.8	6.4	13.19	12.91
South and West Devon	3.4	4.2	6.18	7.49	6.4	7.1	13.34	13.51
South Cheshire	2.9	3.6	6.14	7.61	7.2	8.1	14.98	15.18
South Essex	2.3	3.0	6.11	7.92	5.5	6.0	15.11	14.79
South Humber	2.6	3.3	4.47	5.64	5.3	6.0	12.27	12.18
South Lancashire	2.6	3.2	5.57	6.86	6.0	6.8	13.26	13.61
South Staffordshire	2.0	2.4	5.40	6.55	5.6	6.1	14.53	14.20
Southern Derbyshire	1.9	2.5	5.15	7.03	6.0	6.4	14.72	14.34
St. Helens and Knowsley	3.7	4.8	5.59	7.33	7.3	8.4	12.48	12.93
Stockport	3.3	3.9	4.83	5.99	8.2	8.8	12.88	12.78
Suffolk	2.2	2.9	5.29	6.77	7.9	8.7	14.81	14.70
Sunderland	2.7	3.3	6.08	7.76	7.6	8.6	14.94	15.37
Tees	3.3	4.1	5.57	6.85	7.6	8.6	14.51	14.64
Wakefield	3.1	3.8	6.05	7.36	6.5	7.2	11.85	11.87
Walsall	3.2	4.0	6.73	8.81	5.5	6.0	13.93	14.20
Warwickshire	2.5	3.1	6.33	7.58	5.4	6.0	14.53	14.08
West Kent	2.5	3.1	6.25	7.83	5.6	6.3	14.66	14.73
West Pennine	2.7	3.2	4.42	5.33	5.7	6.2	12.65	12.47
West Surrey	2.4	3.0	6.44	7.89	5.8	6.3	16.50	16.49
West Sussex	2.7	3.2	5.92	7.06	6.6	7.3	14.99	15.21
Wigan and Bolton	2.8	3.6	4.82	6.15	6.7	7.6	13.04	13.39
Wiltshire	2.3	2.9	5.91	7.31	6.3	6.9	13.81	13.66
Wirral	4.0	4.8	5.51	6.65	7.9	8.6	12.25	12.01
Wolverhampton	3.1	3.6	7.93	9.07	5.1	5.7	13.76	13.66
Worcestershire	1.8	2.5	5.29	7.04	5.8	6.5	13.81	13.97
England	2.8	3.4	6.20	7.60	6.2	6.8	14.89	14.04

Notes:

1. Tranquillisers are defined as those drugs within the British National Formulary (BNF) sections 4.1, hypnotics and anxiolytics, and 4.2 drugs used in psychoses and related disorders. Antidepressant drugs are those within the BNF section 4.3

2. The data are from the Prescription Cost Analysis system and cover all prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors in England. The system covers prescriptions originating from general practices and also those written by nurses

3. The net ingredient cost refers to the cost of the drug before discounts and does not include any dispensing costs or fees. It does not include any adjustment for income obtained where a prescription charge is paid at the time the prescription is dispensed

4. ONS mid-year population projections have been used

18 Jun 2002 : Column 253W

Next Section

Index

Home Page