HL Deb 29 March 1973 vol 340 cc1187-9

3.11 p.m.

BARONESS MASHAM OF ILTON

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

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will extend the Industrial Injuries Insurance Acts to apply to serum hepatitis B.

LORD ABERDARE

My Lords, appropriate cover is already provided by the Industrial Injuries Act, which has enabled successful claims for benefit to be made.

BARONESS MASHAM OF ILTON

My Lords, does the Minister know that there is considerable worry over this matter because last year two doctors, one nurse and one technician died in Edinburgh and the dependants of those people were not fully covered? Is he aware that there is considerable anxiety over this matter?

LORD ABERDARE

My Lords, I was aware of an unfortunate outbreak in Edinburgh, but I can also assure the noble Baroness that a person working in a renal dialysis unit who contracts serum hepatitis as a result of that work is compensated under the Industrial Injuries Act.

LORD PLATT

My Lords, may I ask Her Majesty's Government if they will consider immediately making this type of hepatitis a prescribed disease? Further, am I right in thinking that at present it is not a prescribed disease and therefore a person can only claim industrial benefit if he can, so to speak, prove an accident or an injury in the sense that on a certain day lie was in contact with a certain case which is now known to have been the source of his disease?

LORD ABERDARE

No, my Lords, I do not think the noble Lord is quite right. Under the Industrial Injuries Act the term "accident" covers almost any untoward event or series of events at work which cause personal injury. Accidental infection by serum hepatitis falls within this category and claims for benefit have been allowed in persons developing the disease as a result of insurable employment. There is no need to list it because it is already covered as an accident.

LORD SEGAL

My Lords, are the Government aware that far too little in the way of funds and facilities is allocated for research into the causation and treatment of this condition and that there is hope of a real breakthrough if only more generous assistance was available in this direction?

LORD ABERDARE

My Lords, I shall certainly have a look at what the noble Lord has said. He will be aware, of course, of the Advisory Group on Hepatitis and the Treatment of Chronic Renal Failure which met under the chairmanship of the late Lord Rosenheim, which has made certain recommendations and we hope very shortly to commend the Report.

BARONESS MASHAM OF ILTON

My Lords, may I ask the Minister whether he thinks that unless the staff working in these renal dialysis units feel that they are particularly well covered recruitment may suffer?

LORD ABERDARE

My Lords, I take the point that the noble Baroness has made. I think that she will agree that the staff are covered, and I hope they will know that they are covered because we have made it plain through Regional Hospital Boards and Boards of Governors. Anything that we can do further to help with the improved conditions in the superannuation field, or anything that we can do to help junior hospital doctors will no doubt go some way towards meeting her point.

BARONESS MASHAM OF ILTON

My Lords, does not the present superannuation claim benefit senior staff, and are not the junior staff at a very great disadvantage?

LORD ABERDARE

My Lords, as the noble Baroness knows, the scheme goes according to the salary that the person is paid.