§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what changes in limb fitting work are taking place in the National Health Service; how many skilled limb fitters are being recruited; what training facilities will be provided for apprentices; what the savings to the National Health Service will be in Scotland arising from the changeover; which areas will be affected by the changes; and what the employment implications will be for the contractors and the areas affected.
§ Mr. FairgrieveChanges in limb fitting work are constantly taking place to take advantage of new technology. The report of a working party on the future of the artificial limb service in Scotland—The Denny report—which was accepted by the Government in 1972, recommended that prosthetists—that is limb fitters—should be trained to a professional standard and should be professional members of the Health Service staff like the other Health Service professions. To this end, the national centre for training and education in prosthetics and orthotics at Strathclyde university was established in 1973 to provide, in conjunction with the Glasgow college of technology and under the auspices of the Scottish Technical Education Council, a basic course for trainee prosthetists/orthotists—that is orthopaedic appliance fitters—to higher diploma standard and short courses, as required, to keep the various disciplines working in the field up-to-date on new techniques. At the same time, the health authorities recruited trainee prosthetists/orthotists to fill future vacancies in the prosthetic and orthotic fields.
The working party recommended that prosthetists employed by the artificial limb contractors should be given the opportunity to transfer to NHS employment. The negotiations to effect the trans- 68W fer on a voluntary basis have been protracted and difficult: but in view of the advantages that would accrue both to the service and the patient by this transfer letters were sent on 11 January to the 29 prosthetists employed in Scotland by the contractors offering them NHS employment. No other trained prosthetists are being recruited by the health authorities.
I believe that the development of an in-service prosthetic facility will provide much needed flexibility and so lead to a more cost effective service though it is not possible to quantify what savings there will be as a result of the changes. The changes will affect the prosthetic service throughout Scotland. Apart from the transfer of prosthetists there should be no employment implications for the contractors as a direct result of the changes.