Hospital fees at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and St. Brendan's will increase by 4.9 percent across the board.

The House of Assembly this week approved the increases and other regulations effected by the change.

An example of the increases are: Patients on a public ward at King Edward will pay $457 a day instead of $436; Those on a semi-private ward will pay $519 a day instead of $495; Those on a private ward will pay $625 a day instead of $596; It will cost $177 a day rather than $169 to keep geriatric patients and new-born infants at the hospital; An ambulance trip will cost $88 rather than $84 or an ambulance trip to and from the airport will cost $100 instead of $95; Individual treatment at the emergency department, for under six hours, will range from $102 to $190 rather than $96 to $180; Eye surgery will range from $287 to $897 instead of $272 to $855; Ear, nose and throat surgery will range from $271 to $544 rather than $257 to $518; and Diagnostic ultrasound will range from $123 to $168 instead of $117 to $160.

Psychiatric visits will range from $41 to $83 compared to $40 to $80 last year.

Also, a stay at the hospice will cost $3 more or $71 a day for those requiring blood transfusions and $2 or $38 a day for those who do not.

Finance Minister the Hon. David Saul said the rationale behind the increases was to keep the cost of running both hospitals as near as possible to the cost of inflation.

In addition to staff salaries, both hospitals saw considerable growth in diagnostic testing and treatment services for rehabilitation and dialysis, Dr.

Saul said.

"Hence a 4.9 percent increase in fees at the hospitals is reasonable,'' he said, adding that hospitals have taken "gigantic steps to cut back themselves''.

But Shadow Health Minister Mr. Nelson Bascome, who has saved most of his comments for today's debate of the Health, Social Services and Housing budget, said 4.9 percent was one of the higher percentage increases.

"Government had promised that people will not be hit as hard with increases this year,'' Mr. Bascome said.

"The hospital fees may be under control, but it seems to be an increased control.'' Mr. Bascome also questioned whether annual hospital fee increases would make it less compatible with private health care agencies.