Disability Equipment (Hansard, 19 July 2001)

§ Andrew George
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he has made in response to last year's Audit Commission report 'Fully Equipped' in respect of disability equipment available through the NHS. [4345]

§ Jacqui Smith
Leading up to and following the publication of the Audit Commission Report "Fully Equipped" the Government have taken the following steps:
We have made available £105 million to the National Health Service for community equipment services over the years 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04. We also took account of the need for additional investment in the personal social services settlement for 2001–02 to 2003–04 to enable councils to contribute an appropriate share to the expansion and integration of these services.
The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA) has commissioned a path-finding project looking at ways to modernise orthotic services in the NHS. We will be reviewing the findings in due course.
As outlined in Health Service Circular 2001–01 and Local Authority Circular (2001) 1, we made available £0.5 million in 2001–02 and £ £1.5 million and £2.0 million in 2002–03 and 2003–04 respectively to be invested in silicone cosmesis. The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency have undertaken a tendering exercise to make these products available on the NHS during August 2001.
During 2000, we continued the £14 million from 1999–2000 for funding invested in indoor/outdoor powered chairs and vouchers and made it recurrent. We also made some adjustments to encourage the effective operation of the service, ending the separation of the allocations for wheelchairs and for vouchers, enabling funds to be spent on either, according to users' wishes, with a voucher scheme being retained in all locations to provide choice. We hope that this greater freedom in the use of funds will help people's needs to be met as effectively as possible.
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The Department's project "Modernising NHS hearing aid services" is evaluating leading-edge digital hearing aids for NHS patients, coupled with an evaluation of associated service delivery changes. Digital hearing aids require different service delivery models as they incorporate information technology based assessment and fitting procedures. £10.75 million will be available for the 20 NHS hearing aid departments involved in the project over the two years 2000 –01 and 2001–02. If the project is successful by 2003–04 we will be investing an extra £25 million in NHS hearing aid services.

§ Mr. Burstow
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned into(a) waiting times and (b) the standard of provision of disability equipment services since the publication of the Audit Commission's report "Fully Equipped". [5230]

§ Jacqui Smith
Leading up to and following the publication of the Audit Commission report "Fully Equipped", the Department is undertaking a major piece of work as part of the NHS Plan in modernising community equipment services. The Department published guidance "Guide to Integrating Community Equipment", issued on 27 March.
The National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agency have commissioned some work looking at ways to modernise orthotic services in the NHS. We will be reviewing the findings in due course.
The departmental project "Modernising NHS hearing aid services" is evaluating leading edge digital hearing aids for NHS patients, coupled with an evaluation of associated service delivery changes. Digital hearing aids require different service delivery models as they incorporate IT-based assessment and fitting procedures. £10.75 million will be available for the 20 NHS hearing aid departments involved in the project over the two years 2000–01 and 2001–02. If the project is successful by 2003–04 we will be investing an extra £ million in NHS hearing aid services.
No research has been commissioned to date on prosthetic and wheelchair services.