Lymphoedema (Hansard, 4 December 2003)

§ Tim Loughton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people living within the Adur, Arun and Worthing Primary Care Trust area suffered from lymphoedema in each of the last five years; and how many received treatment. [141145]

§ Ms Rosie Winterton
Data are not available by primary care trust (PCT) of residence for the last five years available, nor is it available by strategic heath authority (SHA) of residence. However, the following table shows figures for the four health authorities (HAs) which were merged to form Surrey and Sussex SHA, for which Adur, Arun and Worthing PCT is part.
Low vision aids are available free on loan, to any person requiring them. It is for local areas to decide how best to organise their low vision services. Most services are provided in a hospital setting by the hospital eye service, who will assess the needs of the individual and provide any necessary low vision aids, this could be in the form of strong reading glasses, magnifiers or telescopes.
181W
The integrating community equipment services initiative, known as ICES, aims to produce better equipment services for people by bringing what were previously separate local national health service and social services equipment services into integrated organisations. Local services have the responsibility for achieving this integration by April 2004.

§ Mr. Sheerman
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been allocated(a) in England and (b) in the Huddersfield and Kirklees area for the provision of low vision aids for patients suffering from macular disease in the last 12 months. [141423]

§ Ms Rosie Winterton
There is no national allocation for low vision aids. It is for local national health service providers to decide how much should be made available to fund low vision aids out of their overall allocations, in light of local needs.
Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust hold the budget for the provision of low vision aids for Huddersfield patients. In 2003–04 £8,078 was allocated for patients suffering from macular disease. Figures are not available for the Kirklees area.
Low vision aids are available free on loan, to any person requiring them. It is for local areas to decide how best to organise their low vision services. Most services are provided in a hospital setting by the hospital eye service, who will assess the needs of the individual and provide any necessary low vision aids, this could be in the form of strong reading glasses, magnifiers or telescopes.
The integrating community equipment services initiative, known as ICES, aims to produce better equipment services for people by bringing what were previously separate local NHS and social services equipment services into integrated organisations. Local services have the responsibility for achieving this integration by April 2004.