§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he intends(a) blood products, (b) oxygen and (c) clinical waste to be financed by the NHS in connection with voluntary hospice authorities. [66365]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 4 July 2002]: The Chief Executive Bulletin (10–16 May) issue 117 reminded them that hospices should be reimbursed the full agreed pharmacy costs for medicines. This arrangement includes blood products that are licensed medicines and oxygen, in so much as it is permissible to prescribe it on the national health service.
In the case of clinical waste, the responsibility for the disposal of clinical waste cannot be passed over to another party. Under the requirements of the Environmental 1045W Protection Act 1990, waste producers have a legal duty of care to properly dispose of their waste. In this case the hospice concerned would be the waste producer.