§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many powered myo-electric arms and hands have been fitted under the National Health Service; how many have been returned to the various centres because of failure; how many complaints he has received about these arms and hands; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AlisonThirteen sets of myo-electric arms and hands have been issued to National Health Service patients for clinical trials, and most of them have at various times been returned because of failure. The comments of users have been helpful for evaluating the suitability of this form of control. The trials continue.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the amount of co-ordination taking place on the research and development of powered limbs, in view of their role in the National Health Service; if he is satisfied with the output of such limbs; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AlisonCo-ordination of research and development on all types of artificial limbs was among the subjects studied by the group of experts referred to in my reply to the hon. Member on 29th March. The output of limbs is matched to the clinically appraised requirements of the patients.—[Vol. 814, c.273–4.]
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services why powered myo-electric arms and hands are not made available under the National Health Service for thalidomide children as well as for suitable arm and hand amputees, in view of the fact that 1,500 such arms and hands have been successfully fitted in Austria, Germany, Italy, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and The Netherlands; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. AlisonThalidomide children, unlike patients with surgical amputations, do not normally have the muscles available to provide the myo-electric signal need to control powered upper-limb prostheses. Research into ways of overcoming this handicap is going on. Despite the number of myo-electric hands which have been supplied in other countries, there is no evidence that the problem of their satisfactory use by thalidomide children has yet been successfully solved.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average running time of myo-electric arms and hands supplied under the National Health Service powered by gas before needing replacement; what improvements he expects in the next six, 12, 18 and 24-month periods; what improvements took place from 1963–65, 1966–68, 1969–71; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AlisonBecause running time depends on the type of equipment, the amount of use, and the size of power storage pack an average figure would not be meaningful. Myo-electric hands can usually be kept in continuous operation by recharging batteries each night.
Within the next six months it is planned to produce a gas cylinder which should last about a day for most patients equipped with present types of arm systems. This is believed to be the largest storage of gas that can be conveniently carried.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what trials and assessments his Department has conducted into powered arms and hands which have been available for a considerable time in Europe; and when and where comparative trials were carried out by his Department.
§ Mr. AlisonIt is the Department's practice to evaluate all overseas developments of powered arms and hands which may offer advantage to United Kingdom patients. In recent years all the main prosthetic research and development units in England and Scotland have participated in trials of European hardware.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will institute 73W a public inquiry into the research, development and production of powered arms and hands; if he will publish forthwith the departmental or other official investigations which have taken place in this field; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AlisonNo. In relation to prosthetics research and development I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 29th March.—[Vol. 814, c.273–4.]