§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many regional health authorities now have bio-engineering units established in the local universities or other places of learning or as separate units; how many of them have direct contact with clinicians and clinical conditions; to what extent his Department encourages such developments; and if he will make a statement:
(2) which bio-engineering departments receive assistance From his Department; if he will give the name of the orthopaedic consultant directly associated with each unit; and it he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeEight regional health authorities in England have established departments designated as "medical physics and bio-engineering" either within a hospital or jointly with a medical school. In three regions there are separate university departments of bioengineering which collaborate with the hospitals on research and development projects and provide post graduate training courses for students. The remaining regions also have provision for scientific and technical support of medical work although the units concerned may not be designated as "bioengineering units". Health authorities are encouraged to develop departments of medical physics and bio-engineering to provide services and research to the various clinical teams within the hospital as part of the development of scientific and technical services.
Our Department supports work on a number of research and development projects in bio-engineering in the broadest sense of the term the details of which are included in the annual DHSS "Handbook of Research and Development" a copy of which is in the Library. In partic Aar long-term support of bio-engineering associated with orthopaedics is given in the following units:
- i. the Orthopaedic Engineering Centre, Oxford, where the orthopaedic consultant is Professor R. B. Duthie;
- ii. the Rehabilitation Research Unit, Oxford, where the consultant clinicians are Dr. G. Cochrane and Dr. A. Young;
- iii. the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, under the direction of Professor J. T. Scales;
- iv. the Rehabilitation Engineering Unit, Chailey Heritage, under the direction of Dr. G. McCarthy;£
- v. the Orthotics Research and Locomotor Assessment Unit at Oswestry, which is under the direction of Mr. J. H. Patrick, and
582 - vi. the Blo-engineering Centre, University College, London, which is situated adjacent to the Limb Fitting Centre at Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton, and has established clinical links at this site.