HC Deb 13 June 1989 vol 154 cc390-1W
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that all cystic fibrosis units in hospitals are retained if individual hospitals decide to opt out.

Mr. Wray

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what specific response he has given to the Association of Cystic Fibrosis Adults regarding the impact of the proposals in his White Paper "Working for Patients" on the care of cystic fibrosis patients.

Mr. Kirk wood

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if a self-governing hospital which provides a specialist service to cystic fibrosis patients will be allowed to discontinue the service solely on the grounds that the service is unprofitable;

(2) if district authorities will be given special dispensation to enable them to refer cystic fibrosis patients to specialist centres for treatment without having regard to cost or contractual arrangements;

(3) what estimate he has made of the future of specialist hospital centres which currently provide a service to cystic fibrosis patients under the new system of acute care proposed in the White Paper "Working for Patients".

Mr. Mellor

[holding answer 12 June 1989]: A detailed response will be sent to the letter from the Association of Cystic Fibrosis Adults which has only just been received.

Following the implementation of "Working for Patients", cystic fibrosis adults can expect to continue to receive a high quality service. The responsibility for ensuring that a comprehensive range of services is available will remain with the district health authority. The needs of patients requiring unusually expensive medicines or treatments will be taken fully into account when contracts are being placed and when prescribing budgets are being assigned to GP practices.

Every patient will receive the treatment and drugs he or she needs.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the effect on treatment of cystic fibrosis patients on long-term drug therapy of the general practitioner budget arrangements proposed in the White Paper "Working for Patients".

Mr. Mellor

[holding answer 12 June 1989]: Every cystic fibrosis patient will continue to get all the drugs and treatment they require.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he will take to ensure that cystic fibrosis patients will not be refused admission to a general practitioner's list solely because of the potentially high cost of treating the disease under the new general practitioner system of indicative budgets proposed in the White Paper "Working for Patients".

Mr. Mellor

[holding answer 12 June 1989]: The scheme will be structured to take full account of the fact that some patients, such as those with cystic fibrosis, may need potentially high cost treatment. Indicative prescribing budgets will fully reflect these costs and there will be no disincentive to GPs to accept such patients on their lists.