§ 4. Fiona Mactaggart (Slough)If he will publish guidelines for NHS trusts about the information to be given to women facing sterilisation operations relating to the chances of failure. [156286]
§ The Minister for Public Health (Yvette Cooper)The Department of Health funded the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to review and publish guidelines for sterilisation for all its members. The guidelines state clearly that all women should be informed, before a sterilisation operation, that the failure rate is around one in 200.
§ Fiona MactaggartI thank my hon. Friend for that reply. My question was inspired by my constituent, Marilyn Kearney, whose daughter Phoebe was born after Marilyn had had a failed sterilisation. She was not properly informed of the one in 200 failure rate; indeed, the person who operated on her thought that it was much lower. Since her plight has been publicised, women throughout the country have been in touch with her to say that they were not informed of the failure rate. What can the Government do to make sure that women undergoing the operation know that they risk a one in 200 chance of it failing, which might influence their decision about whether to proceed?
§ Yvette CooperMy hon. Friend makes an important point. It is critical that women get full, accurate information before they make such important decisions. The guidelines to which I referred were disseminated to all the members of the royal college and are widely available to the trusts. However, we will pursue with the royal colleges what further measures might be possible to ensure that the guidelines are being adhered to throughout the country.
§ Mrs. Marion Roe (Broxbourne)Is the Minister aware that I was fortunate in gaining a place in the ballot for private Members' Bills in this Session and that my Bill covers standardised patient consent forms for all patients in the NHS and the independent sector? Does she agree that 836 all patients should be given a standardised form, explaining the treatment that they are about to receive and its risks and benefits? Will she support my Bill and its principles?
§ Yvette CooperI certainly support the principles of informed consent for all patients. We are keen to see measures that would improve the information given to patients as well as the counselling and support that they receive. It is not simply about providing patients with written information and particular facts; they must also have the chance to ask questions and to receive proper counselling, especially when they have conditions or face operations for which choices have to be made or where there are alternatives to the treatment that is being offered.