§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if it is his policy to encourage NHS trusts to sell continence products to NHS patients. [31865]
§ Mr. Boateng[holding answer 2 March 1998]: We are committed to the principle that access to the National Health Service should be based on need alone, and not on ability to pay or who a patient's general practitioner is or where they live. This principle is set out in the White Paper "The New NHS" which was published on 9 December 1997.
Continence supplies for 1996/97 and 1997/98 February 1996–January 1997 February 1997–January 1998 Product category value (£) Volume Value (£) Annual percentage change Volume Annual percentage change Disposable all-in-ones 7,113,717 23,731,448 6,488,050 -9 21,370,476 -10 Disposable rectangular pads 2,841,405 51,993,954 2,226,166 -22 39,920,304 -23 Disposable shaped pads 9,049,629 59,545,446 7,859,095 -13 49,347,961 -17 Strech net pants (for use with disposable pads) 1,492,296 5,740,012 1,605,379 8 5,873,722 2 Disposable fluff pulp underpads 997,358 7,171,243 626,697 -37 4,543,550 -37 Reusable pants 94,269 93,490 114,954 22 76,206 -18 Reusable bed sheets 59,729 5,651 92,258 54 9,739 72 Total 21,648,403 148,281,244 19,012,598 -12 121,141,958 -18
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for his Department to issue guidance to NHS trusts about the availability of manual bowel evacuation to people with incontinence. [31864]
§ Mr. Boateng[holding answer 2 March 1998]: We have no plans to issue guidance on this specific issue. Advice on continence services is included in ML(91)1 "An agenda for continence". Copies are available in the Library.