§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what plans he has to warn parents of the dangers of cystic fibrosis;
(2) what information is being passed to general practitioners advising them of the dangers of cystic fibrosis;
(3) what is his Department's policy as screening for cystic fibrosis;
(4) if he has any plans to introduce screening of children for cystic fibrosis at birth.
571W
§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what evidence he has of any correlation between the age of diagnosis of cystic fibrosis and mortality.
§ Mr. MoyleI am advised that it is known that early diagnosis and treatment are likely to prolong life in children with cystic fibrosis: but that, no matter how early treatment is commenced, life expectancy beyond early adulthood is minimal.
§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if any hospitals in the United Kingdom have specialised in treating cystic fibrosis.
§ Mr. MoyleI understand that some hospitals in the United Kingdom have consultant paediatricians and services which provide a particular expertise in the treatment and long-term management of children with cystic fibrosis.
§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what policy instructions his Department issues to area health authorities on the need to diagnose cystic fibrosis in children as early as possible.
§ Mr. MoyleNone. I am advised that this is regarded as a clinical rather than an administrative matter.
§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many children
Year Under 1 1–4 5–9 10–14 Under 15 1973 … … … … … … 40 14 32 29 115 1974 … … … … … … 29 21 33 27 110 1975 … … … … … … 24 19 35 33 111 1976 … … … … … … 23 17 34 34 108 1977 (to 30th September*) … … … 19 12 20 15 66 * Provisional.
§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if his Department is spending money on or contributing funds directly to research for cystic fibrosis into all aspects of the treatment.
§ Mr. MoyleNo. My Department is not directly funding research into cystic fibrosis but I will circulate in theOfficial Report as soon as possible information on any research on this subject being carried out by the Medical Research Council for which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science has ministerial responsibility.
572Wpresently are known to suffer from cystic fibrosis.
§ Mr. MoyleInformation on the number of children suffering from cystic fibrosis is not collected centrally. In 1975, the latest year for which information is available, it is estimated that there were 1,530 cases treated in National Health Service hospitals in England and Wales, of which 1,080 were children aged under 15.
§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many consultants there are who specialise in dealing with cystic fibrosis.
§ Mr. MoyleAt 30th September 1977, there were 452 consultant paediatricians in the National Health Service in England and Wales. Almost all of these might be called upon to deal with a case of cystic fibrosis. There are a certain number of consultants who have taken special interest in the treatment of this disease, but I regret that information on the number involved is not available.
§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many children have died from cystic fibrosis in 1977, 1976, 1975, 1974 and 1973, and at what age.