25 June 2007
We received a petition asking:
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to reconsider his Government’s proposal to halt payments for home delivery of prescription continence products to urology patients including those with multiple sclerosis, spinal injury, spina bifida and bladder cancer."
Details of Petition:
"The NHS currently reimburses licensed Dispensing Appliance Contractors for the services they provide to NHS patients who require continence and stoma care, including home delivery of prescriptions, specialist nurse visits and telephone helplines. Despite the fact that many of these patients are mobility-impaired, the Department of Health is currently consulting on proposals which will make the provision of home delivery services not viable. For urology patients it is likely that all such services will end. In addition, a restrictive banding structure proposed by the Department will force major Dispensing Appliance Contractors to severely scale back their services to stoma patients. 350,000 patients use continence appliances, of whom around 50% use home delivery; the implications of these proposals for patient care, quality of life and these individuals’ ability to maintain their independence require the Prime Minister’s urgent attention."
Read the Government’s response
The Department has been most disturbed by the activities of some dispensing contractors during the consultation phase of the review that the Department is carrying out into the arrangements for the provision of incontinence and stoma appliances. It is clear that the tone and content of those contractors’ communications have led service users to believe that services could be withdrawn or scaled back. This is absolutely not our intention.
It is estimated that around 450,000 individuals, ranging from children to older people, use stoma and urology appliances. Such patients include people with multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, spinal injury, cancer and age related conditions.
All of these patients want to be as independent as possible and to live fully active lives. We also recognise that being in need of stoma and urology services is an intensely personal matter. Patients rely on appliances they are familiar with and, in many cases, greatly value the discretion that services such as home delivery allow. The review has also taken into account our policy in relation to patients with long term conditions, namely that self-care is important and that every effort should be made to reduce hospital stays.
The arrangements for the provision of stoma and urology appliances have not been reviewed for more than 20 years. Therefore, as a considerable amount of money is spent on appliances each year, we need to make sure that prices paid for these items are fair to the providers whilst also offering value for money for the NHS and for the taxpayer.
The Department also wants to address the current inconsistencies in the services provided. No matter where in England an appliance user lives or who dispenses their prescription, we want to ensure that patients receive the same quality of service as that offered anywhere in the country.
The consultations closed on 2 April and the Department received a significant number of responses which officials are now considering. Due to the volume and complexity of responses, we have decided that more time is needed to evaluate the information provided. Consequently, no changes will be implemented in July as had previously been proposed. We do not expect the overall review to be concluded before the end of the year.
From the outset it has been the Department’s overriding goal to maintain and, where possible, to improve the quality of patient care in this area. This continues to be the case - no decisions will be made that compromise this aim.