§ 9. Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will initiate an inquiry into the treatment of patients suffering from terminal cancer.
§ Sir K. JosephI would refer the hon. and learned Gentleman to the replies to his Questions on 6th and 22nd April. The terminal care studies referred to include cancer cases.—[Vol. 815, c. 67, 450.]
§ Mr. JannerIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that about a fifth of all the people in this country will in due course die of this disease? Is he further aware that when the doctors returned from investigating Dr. Issels' clinic in Bavaria they said that people found it necessary to go to Germany for treatment of terminal cancer because our treatment is so woefully inadequate in general? In view of the sense of outrage of people suffering from this illness and that of their families and friends, will he at least give some hope of an immediate, full and comprehensive inquiry into the entire problem?
§ Sir K. JosephI am very sympathetic to the hon. and learned Gentleman's approach. I shall be visiting one of the 212 places concerned this week. I cannot undertake to promise a comprehensive inquiry, but I shall study further what the hon. and learned Gentleman has said and the various studies which are going on.