HOME DELIVERY OF UROLOGY AND STOMA APPLIANCES

That this House notes that 350,000 people use prescription continence appliances regularly to help them manage their conditions, and that around 50 per cent. use home delivery services provided by licensed dispensing appliance contractors; believes that home delivery allows many of these NHS patients, who are often mobility-impaired and unable easily to access pharmacy facilities, to maintain their independence and quality of life at home, thus reducing the burden on NHS and social services; expresses concern at current Department of Health proposals to end payments to contractors for home delivery of all urology appliances; questions the Department's additional proposal to impose a limited banded payment structure which may force the largest dispensing appliance contractors significantly to scale back their provision of home delivery of stoma appliances and other services; notes that these proposals will impact on patients and their carers currently living at home with multiple sclerosis, spinal injury, bladder cancer, spina bifida, stroke, bowel cancer and many other serious conditions; and urges the Department of Health to reconsider their proposals and ensure that any changes to the current payment system do not impact upon these patients' quality of life.