§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will issue guidelines to all hospitals that patients who have had a mastectomy do not need a letter of referral from a general practitioner when applying for prosthesis even if the successful operation was performed many years ago and clinical check-ups have been discontinued.
§ Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg:No. Any prosthesis provided by the hospital service must be prescribed by a hospital doctor. When a patient has been discharged from hospital into the care of a general practitioner, any further hospital services must be initiated through a fresh referral by the general practitioner to a hospital consultant.