§ Baroness Serotaasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will review the Domiciliary Oxygen Service in England in the light of the Royal College of Physicians' guidance Domiciliary oxygen therapy services. [HL1714]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathFollowing the publication of the Royal College of Physicians' guidanceDomiciliary oxygen therapy services, we will be reviewing a number of aspects of the Domiciliary Oxygen Service under the following terms of reference:
To review the scope and organisation of the Domiciliary Oxygen Service in England in the light of the 1999 guidance of the Royal College of Physicians, including:
Whether, and if so to what extent, patient access to the service should continue to be via general practitioner prescribing or otherwise,
the availability of alternative forms of oxygen delivery (cylinder, concentrator, and liquid) and associated equipment, and the circumstances in which one form might be preferable to another.
whether the current supply arrangements, including the arrangements for setting prices should be maintained or altered,
the cost effectiveness and affordability of any changes,
other relevant matters.
We have placed in the Library a copy of a letter to interested companies and organisations inviting them to let us have their views as a first step in the review.