§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking with regard to the findings of Dr. Peter Gower, of the Charing Cross Hospital Medical School, a copy of which is in his possession, that at least 18 kidney patients have died preventably as a direct result of administrative delays by local authorities in adapting their homes and that many other lives may be threatened; if he is satisfied with the implementation to date 152W by local authorities of Section 2(1)(e) of the Chronicaly Sick and Disabled Persons Act, 1970; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir K. JosephI have been asked to reply.
I am writing to local health authorities asking them to review their procedures for arranging adaptations in the home and to hospital authorities reminding them of the need to give maximum notice to local health authorities. The figure given for deaths attributable to consequential delays in admission to hospital dialysis is, I understand, an estimate based on assumption open to question. All authorities are implementing Section 2(1)(e) of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act, 1970, but as haemo dialysis is a health matter, adaptations to permit the installation of artificial kidney machines fall to be carried out under Section 12 of the Health Services and Public Health Act, 1968.