§ Mr. HeathTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) digital and (b) analogue hearing aids have been fitted under the NHS as part of the modernising NHS hearing aid services project. [15598]
§ Jacqui SmithBy the end of November 2001, 18,227 adults had been assessed for digital aids and 16,628 digital hearing aids had been fitted by the 20 national health service trusts involved in the pilot project. Additionally, another 1,146 analogue hearing aids were fitted at those centres.
§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 16 November 2001,Official Report, column 948, on digital hearing aids, if the funding decisions for 2002–03 for the sites already providing digital hearing aids will be based on maintaining annual levels of service in the provision of digital hearing aids at each site. [22375]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 11 December 2001]: Funding decisions for 2002–03 will be made in time to allow sites to make plans for delivering services for that financial year.