HC Deb 08 November 1954 vol 532 cc863-4
60. Lieut.-Colonel Lipton

asked the Minister of Health whether he will introduce a better system in maternity hospitals to ensure that newly-born infants are not assigned to the wrong mothers.

63. Mr. Hastings

asked the Minister of Health what steps he is taking to restore the confidence of mothers that when they leave the maternity wards of his hospitals they will take with them their own babies, in view of recent incidents.

Miss Hornsby-Smith

It is a matter of great concern that any such mistake should occur, but everything shows that those which have recently been publicised appear in each case to have been due to the human factor and not to defective systems of identification. My right hon. Friend has carefully considered the various suggestions made but does not consider that central or uniform regulations would assist in preventing error.

Lieut.-Colonel Lipton

Will the Parliamentary Secretary agree that the method of slapping on a little bit of adhesive tape and using that as a means of identification is not very satisfactory? Is it not possible to devise a rather more foolproof method for avoiding what is in many cases a very distressing state of affairs?

Miss Hornsby-Smith

I quite agree with the hon. and gallant Member about the distressing nature of these cases, but they are very rare.

Lieut.-Colonel Lipton

How does the Parliamentary Secretary know that they are rare?

Miss Hornsby-Smith

Out of 350,000 cases per annum, the methods for identification are generally satisfactory. Investigations now proceeding into the specified cases prove that, whatever the method of registration, these were errors of the human element and not ones that could have been anticipated.

Mr. Hastings

While admitting the dangers of the human element, does the Parliamentary Secretary not think it necessary that there should be a double check in each case? For instance, could there not be two indications signed and affixed to every child to indicate its parents, so that if one label should come off or be lost, or fail to be looked at or get damaged, there would be the other to which to turn?

Lieut.-Colonel Lipton

In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I give notice that I shall raise this matter on the Adjournment.