§ Mr. Wareingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what directives he has issued on the question of financing kidney patients being treated by dialysis machines;
394W(2) what directives he has issued governing the use of dialysis machines.
§ Mr. John PattenThe financing of haemodialysis services and the use of haemodialysis machines are matters for health authorities, and we have issued no directives. We have, however, asked health authorities to develop services for patients suffering end stage renal failure as a priority within the acute sector, and all regional health authorities have recently agreed a target of accepting new renal patients for treatment at an annual rate of at least 40 per million population by 1987.