§ Mr. BowdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what information she has concerning the imposition by coronary care units of age limits on admission;
(2) what guidelines her Department issues on the operation of age limits on admissions to hospital services.
§ Mr. SackvilleDecisions concerning the assessment and treatment of national health service patients are matters for the professional judgment of the clinicians involved in the individual case. A number of factors will influence such decisions, including the patient's ability to benefit from medical intervention; but we have always made it clear that treatment should not be withheld on the basis of age alone.