§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will encourage the introduction of a two-tier hospital system whereby there may be major haemophilia centres which treat the complaint and other hospitals which only supply the drugs.
§ Mr. Alec Jones :Haemophilic patients require specialised and continuing treatment which is best provided by haemophilia centres.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is her estimate of the cost to the National Health Service and local authority social services of the extra care and treatment of haemophiliacs for the rest of their lives which will arise from disabilities incurred as a result of their being deprived of treatment with Factor VIII until such time as the United Kingdom is self-sufficient.
§ Mr. Alec Jones :With the improved treatment which has become available in the last 10 years and as more Factor VIII concentrate is produced within the National Health Service, cases of severe disability will become increasingly rare. The cost of any extra care and treatment, including major orthopaedic surgery 263W which can now be undertaken, would depend on the severity of any disability which might have occurred. It is impossible to give an estimate of cost however approximate.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what discussions she has with senior consultants in the field of handicap concerning the medical advantages of providing sufficient Factor VIII for the treatment of haemophiliacs.
§ Mr. Alec Jones :My right hon. Friend is advised by an Expert Group on the Treatment of Haemophilia which includes among its members senior consultants with considerable experience of treating this disease.
§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how it is intended to distribute the £500,000 apportioned for developments of Factor VIII.
§ Mr. Alec Jones:The sum of £0.5 million will be distributed in such a way as to achieve the required increase in plasma production in the various regional transfusion centres in the shortest practicable time. The plasma will then be centrally processed to produce Factor VIII concentrate.
§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if hospitals supplying Factor VIII will be encouraged to dispense the drug for use by patients at home.
§ Mr. Alec Jones :It is for the clinicians concerned to decide how available supplies of Factor VIII should best be used for the benefit of their patients.