§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services which health authorities have followed the South-West Thames health authority's initiative in establishing a project to design and build furniture to meet the individual requirements of severely physically handicapped people.
§ Mr. NewtonThe information is not available centrally, but work goes on all the time in hospitals to adapt furniture and wheelchairs to meet individual patient needs. A selection of reports of such work is contained annually in the report provided to Parliament under section 22 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970. The Department supports work programmes at Chailey heritage and the bioengineering centre of University College London which aim to develop systems for the provision of moulded seating and other supports which can be applied generally to the needs of the physically handicapped. Similar work was supported at Derbyshire royal infirmary until early last year. Certain types of moulded seating, particularly for wheelchair users, are available to patients on prescription through the Department's approved contractors.