§ Mrs. Bainasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much money his Department intends to make available for the purchase of Emiscan X-ray apparatus for the diagnosis, and routine and emergency care of those with hydrocephalus.
§ Dr. OwenIt is for health authorities to decide how much of their block allocations for capital purposes is to be spent on this apparatus. Each health service region in England will shortly have an Emiscanner available, along with comprehensive facilities for the diagnosis, by this or other techniques, and the treatment of neurological conditions generally.
§ Mrs. Bainasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate he has made of the need for Emiscan X-ray apparatus.
§ Dr. OwenThere are two types of "Emiscan" X-ray apparatus—the EMI brain scanner and the EMI body scanner.
The policy in England has been that regional health authorities should be encouraged to instal the EMI brain scanner on a scale of at least one per region. The eventual overall provision is as yet uncertain, although the encouraging results to date suggest that each region is likely to require at least two machines.
The clinical evaluation of the EMI body scanner is still at an early stage; no decision has as yet been taken on the eventual service need for this machine.