§ 45. Mr. Victor Yatesasked the Minister of Health how many persons in the Midland region are registered in need of treatment provided by the artificial kidney unit at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham; how many have been refused treatment during the past 12 months; and what is the total number of persons throughout the country in need of this treatment.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonThere is no regional register; no suitable case of acute renal failure has been refused by this unit but five patients known to the hospital to be suffering from chronic renal failure who might have benefited could not be treated. The answer to the last part of the question is that no reliable figures are available.
§ Mr. YatesIs the Minister aware that the two doctors who operate this kidney machine at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, have themselves estimated that no fewer than 200 patients are being turned away annually to die within a few weeks, and 2,000 in the country? Will my right hon. Friend look into this again and check these figures, because this has caused grave apprehension in the Midlands?
§ Mr. RobinsonA distinction needs to be made between the treatment by artificial kidneys of acute renal failure and of chronic renal failure. There is no shortage of facilities for the former, but treatment of chronic renal failure by intermittent dialysis has recently been regarded as acceptable. I agree that much needs to be done to 981 extend existing facilities, but only a minority of sufferers from chronic renal failure are likely to benefit from treatment by intermittent dialysis.