§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the implications of the case of Anthony Bland for the funding by the national health service of the care of patients who have been in PVS for more than one year in cases where the patient's family wish treatment to continue.
§ Mr. SackvilleNone. Decisions on the care of patients in persistent vegetative state (PVS) are made by doctors in consultation with the care team and the patient's relatives/friends. Treatment of PVS patients, in common with all chronically ill long-stay patients, is funded from national health service resources.