§ Mr. PickthallTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give priority in the provision of digital hearing aids to former service men whose hearing was damaged during the course of their service duties as defined by the War Pensions Agency. [54460]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 9 May 2002]: National health service hospitals should ensure that they give priority to war pensioners, both as in-patients and as out-patients, for examination or treatment relating to the condition for which the patient receives a pension or received a gratuity (unless there is an emergency case or another case demands clinical priority).