§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many of the extra 400 kidney machines promised to the National Health Service in the year 1978–79 by Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget Statement, Official Report, 11th April 1978, columns 1196–7, are in service for patients; and if he will make a statement.
618W
§ Mr. Moyle:I have now given approval for health authorities to go ahead with schemes in each region to provide facilities for a total of 418 additional patients to be treated by dialysis. In some cases this approval also covers plans for increasing the number of transplants undertaken which will in due course release further dialysis facilities. My Department is also discussing further developments with three regional health authorities.
Detailed statistics on the number of additional patients accepted for treatment as a result of this exercise will not be available until later this year but I have no reason to believe that health authorities are not making every effort to bring these additional facilities into use as soon as possible.