§ Mr. Michael McNair-Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services which part of his Department is responsible for the design of appliances for the disabled, including surgical boots; and how often these designs are up-dated.
§ Mr. RossiThe responsibility for the design of traditional surgical appliances and surgical footwear, in terms of appearance and function, is shared between the prescriber and the contractor supplying the device. This flows from the need for many appliances to be tailored to fit the individual patient and to meet his specific orthopaedic needs. However, compliance with specified British Standards specifications and other specifications prepared by the Department's scientific and technical branch is a requirement of the contracts between the Department and its surgical appliance contractors. Both types of specification mainly relate to features like the use of nominated materials whether metal, leather, fabric or plastics; and, particularly in footwear, certain methods of construction. A few design features are specified because of safety requirements.
Where newly developed appliances can be closely specified, the responsibility for design is shared between the developer and the Department's scientific and technical branch.
There is no recognised interval for updating designs, and changes are triggered by various events such as changes in methods of treatment and introduction of new materials or methods of manufacture.