§ Mr. Buchanan-Smithasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what facilities there are in Scotland for the making, repairing and fitting of artificial limbs; where these facilities are situated; what is the average period between the measurement for and the fitting of such limbs; and what is the average time taken for repairs.
§ Mr. RossArtificial limbs are made by private manufacturers who are in contract with the Health Ministers; there are two factories in Scotland, at Irvine (for arms) and at Dundee (for legs); most of the component parts are made in England.
The fitting of artificial limbs and running repairs are carried out at centres attached to the hospital service in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness.
The average periods between the measurement and the final fitting are 13 and 11 weeks for arms and legs respectively. The average time for major repairs is eight weeks for arms and six weeks for legs but during these periods the patient has a duplicate limb available. Running repairs may be done without delay.