§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Eccles, Official Report, 22 November 1977, c. 677, if he is now able to list the health authorities which undertake confidential inquiries into perinatal deaths; and if he will make a further statement.
§ Mr. MoylePeriodic reviews of perinatal deaths at the hospital level have been a common practice for many years, but there is an increasing tendency, which I welcome, to institute confidential inquiries at the level of health authorities. One of the responsibilities of the national perinatal epidemiology unit at Oxford university is to make a review of existing schemes of confidential inquiries into perinatal deaths; and the unit is currently aware that the following health authorities have carried out or are carrying out confidential inquiries: RHAs—Merseyside, Yorkshire; AHAs—Bolton, Bromley, Essex, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Newcastle, Rochdale, Warwickshire; Health Districts—Tower Hamlets, Warrington. A further three regional and two area health authorities are known to be considering setting up schemes.