Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

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

Data for the estimated average unit cost to National Health Service providers in 2014-15 to 2016-17 for a hip replacement, knee replacement, cataract operation and hernia operation is shown in the following table. The data is sourced from reference costs, which are the average unit cost to the NHS 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. Data for 2017-18 is not yet available.