Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (Hansard, 13 April 1988)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Lord Skelmersdale)
My Lords, our recently published White Paper, Promoting Better Health, proposed new approaches to health promotion and disease prevention. The modernisation of curative medicine is continuous and many conditions can now be cured or greatly alleviated which were untreatable in the recent past. We are continuously seeking to ensure that staff are trained to meet the changing needs of the service.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for that reply, which implies that the Government realise that these days science and technology play an ever-increasing part in National Health Service work. Is the Minister aware that in some fields there is apprehension that we are falling behind in the research that is required, in the production of new forms of scanners and screening equipment, and the training of those who have to operate them? Will the Government look at that extremely important question?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, I have no doubt that the Government will be looking at that extremely important question because a report has recently been published by your Lordships' Select Committee on Science and Technology covering exactly that subject. The Government welcome that report as an important contribution to the discussion about the future of medical research. However, it is addressed to the Government as a whole and it will take some time for a government response to appear to it.

§ Baroness Gardner of Parkes
My Lords, is the Minister aware that the dental profession is very pleased with the new video on preventive dentistry. That of course forms part of the NHS services. Are the Government giving any thought to providing facilities? The very people who most need updating in their profession are those least likely to have a machine on which to view the new video.

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, I welcome my noble friend's remarks about the video. I am not sure that 1060 it was intended that the video should be available in the surgery. Many people in the country now have video machines attached to their private televisions and it was for that purpose that the video was intended.

§ Lord Ennals
My Lords, may I say how pleased I was to hear the Minister's welcome for the Select Committee report on medical research, which I thought was rather critical of the Government? In connection with preventive medicine, will the Minister say what support Her Majesty's Government gave to the first ever world non-smoking day last week? That was sponsored by the World Health Organisation. Will he say what further action the Government propose to take on smoking in the workplace in the light of the very recent report presenting new and powerful evidence of the dangers even to non-smokers of being in smoke-filled rooms?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, we did not give direct financial support to the world non-smoking day last week. However, I can confirm that we shall be considering how, following the conclusions of the Independent Scientific Committee on Smoking and Health, we can best communicate the message that breathing other people's tobacco smoke is harmful.

§ Lord Mellish
My Lords, the Minister has already said that an inquiry is taking place in his department about the future of the NHS. Can I take it for granted that the Select Committee report will be among the items to be considered? Can the Minister say when the inquiry being conducted within his department is likely to be concluded, and whether the results will be published?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Mellish, can ask, but I am afraid that I am not in a position to give him an answer as to when the inquiry will be completed or whether its results will be published. I expect that the Select Committee report will be considered on its own merits outside the inquiry.

§ Lord Campbell of Alloway
My Lords, can the Minister confirm what is being done about the aspect of the Question of the noble Lord, Lord Molloy, concerning staff training?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, training is being provided in change management and also in the updating of staff training, particularly for nurses. We appreciate that we have not yet responded to the Royal College of Nurses' Project 2000 paper; but a response is fairly imminent and I hope that it will be made before too long.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, will the Minister not agree with the view of the BMA, the Royal College and COHSE that new, modern medical machinery will inevitably be introduced which will have to be operated by a combination of specialists, doctors and nurses? The noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Alloway, referred to the latter part of my Question. I asked whether the Government would take that aspect into consideration so that when the new medical 1061 machinery is introduced for use on the wards nurses will understand it and know how to operate it in conjunction with the specialists and the doctors.

§ Lord Skelmersdale
Yes, indeed, my Lords. The professional industrial and commercial updating project which is being developed by the NHS training authority in association with professional and statutory bodies will offer multi-disciplinary continuing education and training opportunities for nurses and professions allied to medicine with exactly that aim in view.