§ Mr. David StewartTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps are being taken to develop and produce accurate measures of aphasia; [144525]
(2) what steps are being taken to improve the quality of services available to people with aphasia; [144526]
1118W(3) what steps are being taken to support services development for people with aphasia based on accurate measures of need and performance; [144527]
(4) what steps are being taken to improve access to speech and language therapy for aphasic people. [144535]
§ Mr. HuttonPrimary care trusts have the responsibility of improving the health of the community, securing the provision of high quality services, and integrating health and social care locally. They have the resources to commission services, and to identify the number of professional staff that they need to deliver those services. This process provides the means for addressing local health needs within the community including the provision of speech and language therapy. No steps are being taken centrally to develop or produce measures of either the severity of aphasia or treatment outcomes.