§ Mr. CollinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many digital hearing aids are currently available on the NHS. [126750]
§ Mr. HuttonThere are currently no digital hearing aids available via the National Health Service Logistics Authority or any contract arranged by the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency.
However, all NHS trusts throughout England are free to prescribe the most clinically appropriate product that best meets an individual patient's circumstances and need. Therefore, trusts are free to purchase any digital product that is available from hearing aid suppliers. There are no centrally held figures for the number of digital hearing aids purchased through this route.
In order to evaluate the benefits of digital hearing aids we have recently announced a two-year project involving twenty NHS trusts to evaluate the costs and benefits of digital hearing aids and associated service delivery changes. £4 million is available for the project in 2000–01.