Patient costs

Press, 6 September 1989, Page 20

Patient costs

Sir,—ln your editorial of August 24 the costing of one patient per night in the board’s big institutions at $6OO is unbelievable. Exactly how is such expenditure itemised?—Yours, etc.,

ISABEL WITTY. August 24, 1989.

[The general manager, Canterbury Area Health Board, Mr R. I. Parker, replies: “As an example, the costs of operating Christchurch Hospital for the year ending June 30, 1990, for inpatients will total in excess of S6BM. The direct wages costs are S44M, with all direct patient treatment supplies and expenses, including drugs, dressings, food services, etc., totalling SI6M. Centrally provided services, including all costs of accounting, payroll, administration, energy, engineering, works and similar services will total in excess of SBM. The projected inpatient days for the same period are 109,858 and when the operating costs are divided by the projected number of days, the average daily bed cost for inpatients, including GST, has been calculated at $627.22 per day. It should be noted that these are direct costs only and exclude the costs of capital and depreciation. In using an average bed cost it must be recognised that in some sophisticated intensive care areas the cost per patient can average out at approximately $l5OO per day.”]