§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list newly established units for the provision of dialysis for patients suffering from end stage renal disease which first treated patients in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985 and those planned to start treatment in 1986 and 1987.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe European Dialysis and Transplant Association received its first information on patients being accepted for treatment for end stage renal failure from the following units in the years shown:
Unit 1982 Shrewsbury 1983 Kings Lynn 1984 Rochester 1985 Preston We are also aware of a number of minimal care dialysis units which opened during these years but which submit 494W information through the renal units with which they are associated. We expect that further new units will be established in 1986 and 1987, but this is a matter for the health authorities concerned.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will monitor centrally the impact of the establishment of new units for the provision of dialysis to patients with end stage renal disease in order to assess the speed with which the treatment levels in given regional health authorities can be brought into line with the guidelines set by him.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe number of new patients accepted for treatment for end stage renal failure in each region is reviewed annually and the region's progress in meeting its agreed target is assessed; this review takes into account the numbers of patients accepted for treatment in new units.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make available to regional health authorities in England the results of the programme for the expansion of the provision of dialysis for patients with end stage renal disease in Wales.
§ Mr. WhitneyI understand that two subsidiary renal units were established at Carmarthen and Bangor in 1985 as part of the programme for expanding services for patients with end stage renal failure in Wales, and that the performance of these units is being evaluated over a three-year period. I will ask my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales to keep me informed of the findings of this evaluation, and will make any relevant information available to regional health authorities.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has information available at sub-regional level, or on a district health authority basis, on the acceptance of patients on programmes for the treatment of end stage renal disease.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe European Dialysis and Transplant Association is able to provide information on the numbers of patients accepted for treatment for end stage renal failure by each renal unit; I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon (Mr. Patten) to the hon. Member for Truro (Mr. Penhaligon) on 25 June 1985 at columns378–82. Information is not collected on the district health authorities within which the patients reside.