§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will provide home nebulisers for asthmatics on prescription.
§ Mr. John PattenFor effective use, a nebuliser needs a special driving device such as an oil-free air compressor pump or special flow-head fitted to a cylinder of compressed air. If it is medically essential for a particular patient, including one suffering from asthma, to practise nebulisation at home, nebulisers and their driving mechanism may be provided on the NHS through the hospital service. We cannot justify the considerable additional cost of supplying this equipment on GPs' prescription.
GPs may prescribe a range of hand-held metered-dose aerosols with spacing devices which are effective alternatives to nebulising equipment for some patients.