§ Mr. Evansasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the annual cost of making glucose testing strips prescribable by general practitioners.
§ Mr. HayhoeThe cost is estimated at between £5 million and £10 million per annum.
§ Mr. Evansasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if his Department has estimated the potential long-term savings to the National Health Services from changes in the level of reduced hospitalisation if glucose testing strips were prescribable by general practitioners
§ Mr. HayhoeBlood glucose testing strips can be prescribed for patients through the hospital services. It is possible that wider use could enable some patients to achieve better control of their condition, so avoiding the complications that lead to hospital treatment but no reliable estimate can be made of the overall net effect on national health service costs.