§ Mr. Arnold Shawasked the Minister of Health what facilities are available within the National Health Service to continue dialysis of a patient who has purchased his own machine for home treatment and subsequently finds difficulty in maintaining it.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonThis would depend on the circumstances of the individual case. The National Kidney Centre, which treats patients privately, is closing down and has asked me to arrange for the National Health Service to take over the treatment of existing patients. Since these 27 patients would die if treatment were discontinued I have agreed, in the exceptional circumstances described, that the National Health Service should assume responsibility for their treatment at the appropriate time.