§ Mr. Meadowcroftasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the proportion of National Health Service anaesthetic vaporisers currently provided by the British Oxygen Company.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeWe do not have any definite figures, but it is believed to be in the region of 80 per cent.
§ Mr. Meadowcroftasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is satisfied with the actions of the British Oxygen Company in fulfilling its contract with his Department for altering and inspecting gas manifolds in hospitals.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeWe are satisfied with the progress being made.
§ Mr. Meadowcroftasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he has encouraged regional health authorities to seek tenders from companies other than the British Oxygen Company for inspecting and altering gas manifolds in hospitals;
(2) whether he will seek to establish contracts with companies other than the British Oxygen Company for inspecting and altering gas manifolds in hospitals.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeIt was decided in consultation with the regional health authorities that a national contract should be placed for the inspection and conversion of these medical gas manifolds. It is essential that all parts of the conversion work are properly integrated and co-ordinated to ensure that there is no interruption in the supply of these gases to patients in any part of the country. Contracts were placed with the British Oxygen Company last year. I do not foresee any need for another national contract of this kind in the future. Health authorities will follow their normal practices of inviting tenders from various suppliers for all other work on medical gas pipelines.
§ Mr. Meadowcroftasked the Secretary of State for Social Services why his Department agreed to the British Oxygen Company ending its service-exchange facility for Tec 2 anaesthetic vaporisers in 1984 and its service facilities in 1987.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeCyprane notified our Department and the NHS in 1982 that service exchange would cease in 1984 and that individual vaporisers would continue to be serviced until 1987.
Discusion between our Department, the supply council and the company successfully resulted in an extension of the service exchange facility for a further year until 1 January 1985 for these vaporisers. The NHS was notified of this extension last year.