§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many regional health authorities have a policy of charging when they supply maskers for patients suffering from tinnitus.
§ Mr. John PattenSection 1(2) of the National Health Service Act 1977 prohibits the making of charges for services provided under the Act unless there is express362W statutory provision for them. Where a patient chooses of his own accord to purchase a device such as a tinnitus masker a hospital may undertake the fitting of the device providing this does not pre-empt resources which would otherwise have been used for other NHS patients.