§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is now in a position to make a statement on policy on prescriptions by general practitioners and family practitioners of oxygen concentrators in industrial areas; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Darlington (Mr. Fallon) on 14 February 1984 at column157. We aim to produce as soon as possible a policy for the prescribing of oxygen concentrators which will apply throughout the country.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in the light of the pilot study on oxygen concentrators and oxygen therapy, he can now estimate the cost per hour for oxygen therapy over a 15-hour period for oxygen cylinders and oxygen concentrators; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI refer the hon. member to my reply to the hon. Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Meadowcroft) on 26 March at column61. Hourly costs in respect of oxygen cylinders and concentrators are contained in the North-Western regional health authority's report. The exact figures depend on the volume of oxygen used but concentrators are usually cheaper to run, if oxygen is required for six hours or more daily.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the report of the northwest pilot study on oxygen concentrators; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe North-Western regional health authority's report on the pilot study of oxygen concentrators has been published in that it is readily available from our Department on request. In view of the technical and specialised nature of the report we do not propose to publish it in any more formal way. Copies are, however, in the Library.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the general acceptance level of oxygen therapy treatment by means of oxygen concentrators by specialists in the field of respiratory diseases; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe prescription of long-term oxygen therapy is an individual clinical decision taken by
218W
Regional Health Authority 1980* 1981 1982 1983 1984† Notifications (Beds) Notifications (Beds) Notifications (Beds) Notifications (Beds) Notifications (Beds) Northern — — 1 (31) 1 (40) — — — — Yorkshire — — 1 (20) — — 5 (237) — — Trent — — 3 (289) 1 (119) — — — — East Anglian 1 (56) 2 (80) — — 2 (62) — — North West Thames — — 3 (197) — — 3 (70) — — North East Thames — — 4 (228) 1 (38) 2 (101) — — South East Thames — — 2 (91) 8 (332) 4 (330) 1 (30) South West Thames 1 (48) 3 (170) 1 (42) — — — — Wessex — — 5 (222) 2 (112) 2 (56) — — Oxford — — — — 1 (46) 2 (31) — — South Western — — 1 (79) — — 2 (86) 1 (40) West Midlands 3 (260) 1 (42) 2 (88) 3 (111) — — Mersey — — 1 (75) 1 (50) — — — — North Western — — 6 (180) 2 (76) 1 (—) 1 (35) a doctor in the light of his knowledge of the needs of each patient. It is not, therefore, possible to make such an estimate.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients receive domiciliary oxygen therapy with oxygen concentrators; what is the estimated cost per annum for such treatment; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe number of patients using oxygen concentrators is not recorded centrally. The Department's pilot study shows that the annual cost of providing oxygen therapy in this way depends on the volume of oxygen used, the type of machine used and the servicing arrangements made locally. The study does not provide a basis for calculating a single average figure.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to study the experience of the use of domiciliary oxygen concentrator equipment in Germany, France and Italy; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeWe have no plans to do so. We feel that the information we now have, together with the financial advice to which I referred in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Darlington (Mr. Fallon) on 14 February, at column157, should provide a sufficient basis for decisions on the place of this equipment in the National Health Service. Further studies would only cause unnecessary delay.