HL Deb 10 April 1986 vol 473 cc303-4
Lord Campbell of Croy

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

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what action is being taken to improve the protection of the population from the effects of ionising radiation in medical processes, including diagnostic radiography.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Baroness Trumpington)

My Lords, improvements to the protection of patients subjected to ionising radiation for medical purposes are continually being made by the professions concerned. Good professional practice has been reinforced by regulations in some areas, notably to ensure the safety of equipment and to regulate the practice of nuclear medicine. Later this year the Government will bring forward regulations further reinforcing existing good practice by implementing an EC directive on this subject.

Lord Campbell of Croy

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for her reply, which is reassuring, but because almost all the radiation to which the population is exposed, apart from that in the natural environment, comes from medical sources, is it not highly paradoxical that there is pressure for more scanners and modern X-ray equipment while at the same time bodies such as Greenpeace are trying to scare the public about radioactivity from the nuclear industry, which is about 100 per cent. less in its effect upon the population? Both the medical processes and the industry are beneficial in purpose and are needed.

Baroness Trumpington

My Lords, as my noble friend Lord Campbell of Croy rightly says, medical exposures are much more significant. It is the Government's policy to ensure that exposure of the population to radiation from whatever source is kept as low as reasonably practicable. The most recent survey by the National Radiological Protection Board showed that medical uses of radiation constituted 11.5 per cent. of the total radiation exposure of the population, compared with 0.1 per cent. from discharges from nuclear installations. Eighty-seven per cent. of total radiation exposure comes from natural background sources.

Baroness Gardner of Parkes

My Lords, in view of the fact that probably the most common form of diagnostic radiography is dental X-rays, I wonder whether my noble friend the Minister can comment on any protection advised for dentists or patients?

Baroness Trumpington

My Lords, detailed guidance is given in the Code of Practice for the Protection of Persons against Ionising Radiations arising from Medical and Dental Use. The ionising radiations regulations include a number of requirements to ensure the protection of staff, such as the requirements for measuring and regulating the doses they receive.

Lord Ennals

My Lords, does the noble Baroness the Minister accept that, when the document to which she referred is published, the House will want to consider it very carefully? Does she further accept that, in terms either of diagnosis or of treatment by radiological methods, there is always a balance of advantage and disadvantage in which medical judgments are clearly essential? Finally, is the noble Baroness satisfied that the whole list of regulations, both international and national, to which we are bound, are being effectively fulfilled by the practitioners?

Baroness Trumpington

My Lords, regulations already in force require X-ray equipment to be constructed and maintained, and treatment to be undertaken, so that exposures can be restricted so far as is reasonably practicable commensurate with the clinical purpose.

Baroness Gardner of Parkes

My Lords, is the Minister aware that people come to a surgery and check for any excess radiation which is escaping from machines and that this has been extremely valuable, certainly in the dental profession? Is she aware of a similar situation with medical X-ray equipment, and is that also checked?

Baroness Trumpington

My Lords, the Health and Safety Executive is responsible for enforcing the ionising radiation regulations. Their inspectors visit premises and seek to agree with the health authority any action necessary to ensure compliance with the regulations; and where agreement is not reached, the HSE has power to issue a Crown enforcement notice requiring the health authority to take the necessary action.

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