Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average cost to the NHS was of a (a) hip replacement, (b) knee replacement, (c) cataract operation and (d) hernia operation in England in each of the last three years.

Data for the estimated average unit cost to NHS providers in 2014-15 to 2016-17 for a hip replacement, knee replacement, cataract operation and hernia operation is shown in the table below. The data is sourced from reference costs, which are the average unit cost to the National Health Service of providing defined services to NHS patients in England in a given financial year.

The costs cover one episode of care under one consultant and do not include other elements of the patient pathway such as outpatient appointments