§ Dr. Mawhinneyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether a decision has yet been taken about the extension of the range of hearing aids available under the National Health Service.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinI have decided to extend the range by introducing three new models of higher power over the next two years. This will go a long way towards filling existing gaps. As the first of these aids will not become available until the end of 1980, I am also arranging, as an interim measure, to supply centrally to health authorities as soon as possible two commercial models for people with a very severe hearing loss who have an exceptional medical need—for example, those with both visual and hearing impairment—or who require replacement after age 18 of a commercial aid provided by the health authority while they were below that age. I shall, in addition, notify health authorities that, in the interval before the range has been fully extended, they may at their discretion make their own arrangements for the supply of other commercial models to patients of any age with exceptional medical needs, who cannot be adequately served by a National Health Service aid. The fully extended range should meet the needs of all but a very few patients; and I have in mind that, once it has been introduced, health authorities should have discretion to provide commercial models in all those rare cases for which the extended range is still not adequate.