§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how spinal injury units will recover the cost of the appliances from other regions under the new proposed arrangements for dispensing wheelchairs and artificial limbs.
§ Mr. FreemanUnder proposals in the NHS and Community Care Bill, services provided by spinal injury units after 1 April 1991 will be supplied and paid for under contracts in the same way as all other hospital and community health services.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how the ring-fencing of funds for the dispensing of wheelchairs and artificial limbs will affect the consumers' choice of the best and most appropriate appliance; and whether health authorities will be able to spend over the ring-fenced budget.
§ Mr. FreemanThe ring fencing of funds will guarantee a minimum level of resources for these services sufficient to provide the extensive range of appliances already available and being developed. It will be for health authorities to decide how best to meet the needs of their population for these appliances and they will, of course, be able to spend on these services more than the ring-fenced amount by funding from their general allocations.