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Sandra Gidley: Will the Minister at least admit that the provision of choice is not exclusively linked to the supplier, and that that choice could have been extended if pharmacy contractors had been kept in the loop and incorporated in the system?
Mr. Byrne: With only 55 per cent. of pharmacists supplying the service, there has been a degree of fragmentation in the industry. The question chewed over by the advisory groups that considered the service specification in the first instance, which included patient representatives, is "How can we best secure a wide diversity of modern equipment for patients as quickly as possible?" That will inevitably involve substantial infrastructure and significant research and development. It may well involve global operations so that best practice can be sourced from any part of the world. The question for us is how to ensure that there is a rapid feed-through of modern technology to enable patients to lead the lives that they want to lead. That is why the service specification ended up in its present form. It was drawn up not on the basis of a whim, but on the basis of wide consultation, not least with patients.
In conclusion, we believe that the new contract will help to deliver an improved oxygen therapy service to patients at home. We value the important contribution that pharmacists have made, and continue to make, in supporting the transition to the new arrangements. I appreciate that not all pharmacists will want or need to be involved over the coming months; none the less, we will work with them to help manage the changes. Indeed, doing so is an essential part of updating plans to manage the transition.
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