§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of cardiac care units in the NHS operate upper age limits or other restrictions in accessing heart by-pass operations on grounds of age; and what percentage of units have age-related policies for treatment of thrombosis. [55318]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 10 May 2002]: It is an underlying principle of national health service care that access to services is based on clinical need alone. Cardiac care units have been informed that it is unacceptable to limit access on the basis of age. We are not aware of any NHS cardiac care unit or other NHS cardiac service that currently restricts access to its services on the basis of age.