Randerson Reveals Oxygen Contract Overspend

12.02.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 5th Oct 2007

In November of last year the First Minister was forced to admit that the costs of the new oxygen contract were way over the £2.1m budgeted for it and that the full costs would be revealed.

Today Jenny Randerson AM can reveal that all five LHBs that were contacted reported an overspend. These were:

• Cardiff (Feb. 2006 to July 2007) £231,576

• Denbighshire (2006/07 fiscal year) £132,000

• Gwynedd (2006/07 fiscal year) £135,034

• Newport (Feb. 2006 to July 2007) £254,213

• RCT (no figure, overspend may be reimbursed after contract renegotiation)

"If these figures are replicated across Wales then the overspend may exceed the budget!

"I have suspected for some time that the new oxygen contract scheme was way over budget but the Labour Assembly has been extremely reluctant to own up to the problem that they have created. Hopefully contract renegotiations will retrieve some of the money.

"I have had numerous representations from people across Wales unhappy with the transition to the new arrangements. A constituent of mine was told that having a one hour supply of oxygen left does not constitute an emergency. The same constituent had to wait over 45 minutes to speak to an operator.

From February 2006 a framework agreement with Air Products was enacted to provide an integrated home oxygen service across Wales under contacts managed by Local Health Boards. This replaced a pharmacy based system and has met with numerous problems since its inception.

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