To ask the Secretary of State for Health
(1) what steps he is taking to support self-help groups for people with aphasia;
(2) what plans he has to increase funding for services used by people with dysphasia;
(3) what steps the Government have taken to support Connect centres for those suffering with dysphasia; and if he plans to extend them to (a) other parts of the country and (b) Oxfordshire.
Primary care trusts (PCTs) now have the responsibility of improving the health of the community, securing the provision of high quality services and integrating health and social care locally. They have the resources to commission services and to identify the number of professional staff that they need to deliver those services.
In making their commissioning decisions, PCTs will need to consider how best to use a range of providers for the benefit of national health service patients. PCTs may fund local support groups for a range of conditions including aphasia and dysphasia, if they have identified this as a need when assessing the health needs of the local community. They will need also to consider how best to use voluntary sector providers.
"Connect" is a voluntary sector organisation, which is free to apply for Section 64 grant scheme funding at national or local level. The development of their centres is primarily a matter for them.
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