§ Mr. Will Griffithsasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) which hospitals in each regional hospital board area in Scotland have for use and/or demonstration possum units: whether they insure that all young chronic sick and disabled patients who could profit from 110W them are made aware of their value before leaving hospital ; and how many units have they each recommended ;
(2) which local authorities have notified him that they have brought to the notice of all seriously chronically ill or disabled patients under their jurisdiction the value of possum units ; and which have helped patients to initiate the necessary procedure for patients receiving this equipment ;
(3) if he will take steps to ensure that all seriously ill or disabled people who could profit from the possum units are informed about them before leaving hospital or whilst under the jurisdiction of their local authority, so as to assist their increased independence and in some cases to enable them to live at home instead of being institutionalised.
Mr. RossisIPatient-operated selector mechanisms are supplied direct by the Scottish Home and Health Department on the recommendation of a hospital consultant, to help severely handicapped patients, who would otherwise have to be cared for in hospital, to be looked after at home. The local authority medical officer of health and, where appropriate, the patient's general practitioner are consulted before the appliance provided. Five mechanisms have so far been installed and a further three are being provided. The mechanisms have been demonstrated at the Scottish Hospital Centre but are not on general display at individual hospitals. It is open to local authorities to propose individual patients for consideration and am satisfied that the existing arrangements for identifying patients who need this expensive mechanism are adequate.