§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many items of disability equipment issued by the NHS or social services went missing in the last year for which figures are available. [178349]
§ Dr. LadymanThis information is not collected centrally. However, as part of the integration and modernisation of community equipment services over the past three years, services have been encouraged to improve systems for tracking equipment issued so that it can be recovered when economical to do so, with a view to decontamination and re-issue.
In addition, the national health service counter fraud and security management service (CFSMS) has set out in its strategy document, "A professional approach to managing security in the NHS", that the security of property and assets is one of its four priority areas. Currently, the CFSMS is working with the Home Office on a Treasury-funded safer hospitals project to look at how technology can be used to better protect staff, professionals and property.