§ Mr. Harry BarnesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list district health authorities in England and Wales, showing which of these charge private residential nursing homes for the use of incontinence pads for national health service patients who are their residents;
(2) how many representations he has received in the current year concerning district health authorities charging private residential nursing homes for incontinence pads for national health service patients who are their residents and if he will make a statement.
(3) if he will list the standard charges by district health authorities to private residential nursing homes for the use of incontinence pads for national health service patients who are their residents.
§ Mr. DorrellWe have received a number of representations about the supply of incontinence pads to private nursing and residential homes. The free provision of incontinence pads under the National Health Service Act 1977 does not extend to people living in private nursing homes; the same legislation provides that district health authorities may provide incontinence materials and other nursing aids to people in their own homes and at their discretion to residents of local authority and private residential homes. The extent to which this discretion is exercised varies from place to place and information about these decisions is not held centrally.