HL Deb 28 April 1986 vol 474 cc5-6

2.45 p.m.

Lord Molloy

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 anticipated or has been undertaken following the report by the Comptroller and Auditor General on NHS preventive medicine in relation to the minor increases in diphtheria, tetanus and polio and the epidemics of measles and whooping cough which continue to recur.

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

My Lords, the department is fully aware of the importance of immunisation programmes. Since 1983 we have provided special funding to boost the uptake of whooping cough and rubella vaccination and in 1985 we asked health authorities to draw up programmes for increased uptake of childhood immunisations in general. Following the Comptroller and Auditor General's report, we are considering how best further to improve health authorities' performance and our monitoring of it.

Lord Molloy

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness very much indeed for that reply. She could have added, for example, that there is also an excellent report on how polio and tetanus are being attacked. That, I am sure she will agree, reflects great credit on our National Health Service. The uptake for those measures is now 84 per cent. However, will the noble Baroness be gracious enough to consider the fact that, although a 65 per cent. uptake is recorded for measles and whooping cough, they are both killer diseases and there has been some recurrence of these among children? Will she give this House an assurance that that aspect will be looked at?

Baroness Trumpington

My Lords, I welcome the report and the authors are to be congratulated. With regard to what is being done nationally, my department plays its part in encouraging higher uptake rates by issuing advice direct to doctors and nurses about child immunisation. We are trying to warn parents and, indeed, everyone, of the dangers of not immunising children.

Lord Ennals

My Lords, I am most grateful to the noble Baroness for what she said. May I ask two questions in relation to whooping cough? Is there now a steady increase in the number of parents who are sensibly having their children vaccinated? Secondly, in view of the number of court cases that are to be heard concerning compensation for alleged vaccine damage and the possible effect that a court ruling one way or another may have on public attitudes, is the department prepared with a contingency plan for publicity in case a court ruling should have an adverse effect?

Baroness Trumpington

My Lords, one case is currently before the courts and therefore it is not appropriate for me to comment further. However, I think it is worth pointing out on the first part of the noble Lord's supplementary question that fears of vaccine damage led to a sharp fall in uptake from 80 per cent. in 1970 to 31 per cent. in 1978. The uptake has been improving slowly and has now reached 65 per cent. For measles, the level of uptake has only increased from 50 per cent. to the present level of 63 per cent. We cannot emphasise too much the need for parents to take advantage of the vaccination programme.

Lord Molloy

My Lords, will the noble Baroness allow me to take advantage of the very good atmosphere at present to mention the remarkable work which is being done on the preventive medicine side of the National Health Service and to ask whether she will be gracious enough to look at the critical part of the comptroller's report concerning the 60-odd health authorities which in his opinion are not doing enough to combat cervical cancer? Far too many women who are just over 36 years of age are dying and, as the report says, with more intense activity in those health authorities the number could be drastically reduced.

Baroness Trumpington

My Lords, my graciousness does not actually go quite so far as to take cervical cancer into the present context of this Question. But try me again.

Lord Molloy

My Lords, I am quite sure that the noble Baroness has read the report, but that little bit has perhaps slipped her mind. Perhaps I may ask her to get her staff to look at the points that I have raised. I am sure that the country would be very pleased with both of us in our joint endeavours to enhance our National Health Service.

Baroness Seear

My Lords, would the noble Baroness agree with me that the noble Lord, Lord Molloy, needs no encouragement?