Written question asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat) on Friday, 16 July 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 1 September 2004. It was answered by Stephen Ladyman (Labour) on Wednesday, 1 September 2004 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment has been made of the availability through the NHS of respite care for sufferers of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME); what comparative assessment has been made of the level of respite care available in different regions; how much funding has been allocated on average per strategic health authority for the provision of respite care for sufferers of ME in this financial year; and what funding has been allocated to Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority for this purpose in this financial year.

Answer: Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the availability through the NHS of respite care for sufferers of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME); what comparative assessment has been made of the level of respite care available in different regions; how much funding has been allocated on average per strategic health authority for the provision of respite care for sufferers of ME in this financial year; and what funding has been allocated to Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority for this purpose in this financial year. [185615] Dr. Ladyman: We do not collect information on the provision of respite care for people with specific illnesses. No specific funding is allocated to the national health service for the provision of respite services. It is for primary care trusts, in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders, to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising services.

Secondary information