HC Deb 25 March 1986 vol 94 cc774-5
6. Mr. Hirst

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has had any representations recently from or on behalf of diabetics about the provision of medical services to them; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Whitney

The Department is in frequent contact with the British Diabetic Association about its concerns.

Mr. Hirst

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his short reply. Amid all the controversy about whether needles should be made available to drug addicts to prevent the spread of disease, is he aware of the continuing concern of diabetics that disposable syringes and blood glucose monitoring equipment remain unavailable on prescription? As the parent of a young diabetic daughter, may I remind my hon. Friend of the difficulties that a young child has in learning how to inject herself with the large glass syringe supplied by the National Health Service? Can he offer any hope of a relaxation of the prescription availability rules?

Mr. Whitney

We are well aware of the points that my hon. Friend has made. If either of those services is clinically necessary, it is available through the hospital service. However, we are sympathetically considering whether GPs might be able to prescribe home blood glucose tests. Of course, that has important resource implications which must be balanced against other demands on the National Health Service.

Mr. Carter-Jones

Does that mean that the Minister is consenting to ambulatory automatic delivery of insulin to diabetics? Will there be better treatment for the blind diabetic?

Mr. Whitney

I cannot go beyond what I have said. We are considering extremely carefully the improvement of the service, but, where it is clinically necessary, such services are available through the hospital service.

Mr. Robert Atkins

I endorse the request made by my hon. Friend the Member for Strathkelvin and Bearsden (Mr. Hirst). As the parent of a diabetic child, I know at first hand the problems that are involved. For example, a young child, particularly a girl, can be bruised most severely by using a usable as opposed to a reusable syringe. To that extent, will my hon. Friend give what attention he can to considering the point that I have raised as a matter of urgency?

Mr. Whitney

Yes, I certainly will. However, where it is clinically necessary, that provision is still available through the hospital service and my hon. Friend may wish to consider that in his own case.