HL Deb 18 March 1964 vol 256 cc846-7

2.56 p.m.

BARONESS SUMMERSKILL

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are prepared to indemnify a doctor who is involved in a legal action following the death, or disability, of a patient who has been treated with a proprietary product which the Dunlop Committee has permitted to be used despite the known serious side effects.]

THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF HEALTH (LORD NEWTON)

No, my Lords. The advice given by the Committee cannot derogate from the doctor's responsibility to decide whether a patient's condition calls for the use of a particular drug.

BARONESS SUMMERSKILL

My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether it is not asking too much of the ordinary, overburdened doctor to have to evaluate a drug which may have possible side effects; and, in the circumstances, should not more of these drugs be withdrawn from circulation or the doctor given some protection?

LORD NEWTON

My Lords, the Dunlop Committee can ensure only that doctors are provided with the best possible expert advice. That was the object of setting it up. But it must always be for the doctor to decide whether to use a particular drug, and I should have thought that was in the interest both of patients and also of the status of the doctor as an independent professional man.

BARONESS SUMMERSKILL

Is the Minister aware that one of the diseases which the Dunlop Committee has mentioned is disease of the liver, and drugs which cause it may have a long-term effect? The doctor who has to evaluate them in the first place should be something of a research expert, and I think that to give doctors this terrible responsibility is very serious.

LORD NEWTON

My Lords, I think that is slightly wide of the noble Baroness's original Question, but she will recall that we had an interesting debate on this general subject only a fortnight ago, on March 3, when the noble Lord, Lord Taylor, asked an Unstarred Question.

LORD TAYLOR

My Lords, may I ask one further question arising out of the original Question? If doctors have been asked to give to the Dunlop Committee early warnings that side effects occur, and the question has been raised whether they do give early warnings—in other words, if they report that a particular patient has developed side effects—can the Dunlop Committee be subpœnaed to produce the letter of warning which a doctor has given?

LORD NEWTON

Perhaps the noble Lord would be good enough to put that question down. It is quite a different question.