§ Mr. Allen McKayasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to enable medical practitioners to issue on prescription surgical tights as well as surgical stockings so as to relieve the feelings and embarrassment of many young ladies who have to wear them continually on medical instructions.
§ Mr. MoyleIn the opinion of my medical advisers, the present range of surgical elastic hosiery available on prescription, which includes thigh-length stockings but not tights, meets the needs of the vast majority of patients suffering from varicose conditions. Surgical tights, if considered medically necessary, can be supplied on the authority of a consultant through the hospital service which has the facilities suitable for carrying out in private the accurate measuring and fitting necessary in the case of elastic tights. However, my Department is considering whether for certain conditions it would be feasible to provide a new type of waist-length, light-weight elastic stocking under the general medical and pharmaceutical services.