§ Lord Ashley of Stoke asked Her Majesty's Government:
§ What steps they are taking to ensure that all profoundly deaf people who can benefit from a cochlear implant, and who apply for one, receive one.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Cumberlege)My Lords, we continue to remind health authorities that they are required to meet the cost of cochlear implants in all cases where that is the appropriate treatment.
§ Lord Ashley of StokeMy Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for that reply. Does she agree that cochlear implants are medical miracles which are now safe and established procedures which rescue totally deaf people from the world of silence? But is she aware that the Government's efforts to encourage DHAs to fund these implants are being rejected by a minority of health authorities, such as East Sussex, which will agree to fund only two children and no adults; or—even worse—Worcester, which refuses to fund any implants? Does she agree that that is unfortunate for the totally deaf people in those areas? Will she see what the Government can do to help?
§ Baroness CumberlegeMy Lords, perhaps I may say that I think that the noble Lord is a medical miracle, and also a man of tremendous courage who has shown us how one can overcome disabilities and still make a tremendous contribution to our society. The noble Lord will be aware that we have just had an evaluation of this operation carried out by the Medical Research Council's Institute of Hearing Research. We are about to publish that report. The report shows that the treatment is safe and effective for all but a small minority of patients. I suspect that some of the reluctance of health authorities to undertake this treatment has been because they have been waiting for that research. Now that it is about to be published, we expect them to follow our advice and to ensure that all those who need the operation have it.
§ Baroness Gardner of ParkesMy Lords, why is not the Royal National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital, which is the national hospital for work on ears, one of the centres authorised to carry out this treatment? How many centres have the facilities to offer this treatment?
§ Baroness CumberlegeMy Lords, with any new operation, it is important that we concentrate the expertise on particular areas where clinicians are anxious to do it and it is sufficiently well funded. In England, the following units carry out the operation: Birmingham; Cambridge; the Middlesex, London; 782 Manchester; Middlesbrough; Southampton; Nottingham; Bradford; Great Ormond Street and St. Mary's Paddington, London; and Sheffield. In Wales, the centres are in Cardiff and St. Asaph. In Scotland, they are situated in Edinburgh and Kilmarnock; and in Northern Ireland, Belfast.
§ Lord ReaMy Lords, does the Minister agree with my noble friend that cochlear implants are a remarkable example of team work between electronic wizardry and microsurgery? Will she anticipate some of the findings that will be reported in the research document that is coming out shortly? Can she give us any idea of the number of profoundly deaf people who are likely to benefit from cochlear implants? Will she tell us what is the cost of each implant?
§ Baroness CumberlegeMy Lords, we suspect that there are over 3,000 people (adults and children) who are likely to benefit from the operation. The cost of the operation for adults for the first year is £21,000 and for subsequent years £1,000. For children, in the first year it is £24,000 and for subsequent years £2,000.