§ Mr. Kirkwoodasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether his Department has any plans to establish an autonomous body to co-ordinate measures taken against acquired immune deficiency syndrome.
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§ Mr. NewtonMy right hon. Friend announced in the debate in the House on 21 November at column 805 that the Health Education Council is to be reconstituted as a special health authority and will in the longer term have the major executive responsibility for public education about AIDS. Overall responsibility for co-ordinating measures to combat the spread of AIDS will remain with the Government.
§ Mr. Kirkwoodasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when his Department will commence distribution of leaflets on acquired immune deficiency syndrome to every household, and associated advertising; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonI refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's speech to the House on 21 November at columns 801–10.
§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has as to in which parts of Yorkshire and Humberside those people who, to date, have been confirmed as having acquired immune deficiency syndrome live; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonThis information is collected by the communicable disease surveillance centre of the Public Health Laboratory Service from confidential reports of cases from doctors. Because of the small numbers involved, breakdown of data into small area statistics would create the possibility of identifying individuals and thereby breaching this confidentiality.
§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many health visitors in the Bradford district are trained and qualified to give help, advice and information about acquired immune deficiency syndrome; what arrangements are being made (a) in Yorkshire and (b) elsewhere in the United Kingdom to increase the number of health visitors with such training and qualifications; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonThe information on Bradford and Yorkshire is not available centrally and the hon. Member may wish to approach the relevant health authorities.
611WThe following action has been taken in England to assist community nursing staff:
- 1. Guidelines for the community care of AIDS patients were sent to health authorities and professional organisations in July 1985.
- 2. Guidance on problems related to AIDS and children at school was sent to health authorities in July 1986 (Chief Nursing Officer letter CNO(86)12).
- 3. The second edition of the Royal College of Nursing guidelines: "Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome/HIV related diseases" is published today.
- 4. The national boards for England and Wales have approved an outline curriculum on care and management of persons with AIDS and courses are expected to begin in January 1987.
§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what discussions he has had with the British Medical Association and others on the provision by doctors of information to insurance companies, or other public or private organisations, as to whether any patient, National Health Service or private, has undergone tests for acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or of information about the outcome of such tests; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what discussions he is having with representatives of the insurance industry on the matter of individual companies approaching general practitioners asking for information as to whether patients have undergone tests for acquired immune deficiency syndrome; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonNone. Disclosure of clinical information about patients to third parties is a matter for the responsible doctor, and can normally take place only with the consent of the patient.
§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what representations he has received from (a) British Telecom and (b) others about the technical difficulties arising from telephone inquiries following national publicity concerning acquired immune deficiency syndrome; and what action he is taking to ensure telephone inquiries are dispersed on a regional basis to alleviate pressures on voluntary agencies with limited telephone lines in London;
(2) if he will arrange for regional free telephone numbers to be made available so that people can obtain information and advice about acquired immune deficiency syndrome; if he will arrange for such telephone numbers to be publicised widely, including on leaflets he is proposing to circulate to all households; and if he will make a statement;
(3) what information he has as to how many organisations in Bradford provide help, advice and information on acquired immune deficiency syndrome; if he will list the name of each organisation and information available to him on (a) the times of the week when the public can obtain counselling and (b) the telephone number of each organisation; and what action he is taking to ensure that the public in Bradford have free and easy access to advice and information about acquired immune deficiency syndrome.
§ Mr. NewtonWe are aware that the telephone advisory services on AIDS operated by several voluntary bodies have become overloaded because of the increasing level of inquiries. We are in contact with them and with British Telecom to see what can be done quickly to increase the capacity of their telephone systems.
612WUrgent consideration is also being given to ways of providing additional telephone advisory services both nationally and regionally to meet any further demand generated by our publicity campaign.
I suggest the hon. Member writes to the district health authority chairman for specific information relating to AIDS information and advice services in Bradford.
§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to announce decisions on the free provision of needles and condoms to help prevent the spread of acquired immune deficiency syndrome; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonOn the question of the provision of injecting equipment to drug misusers, I refer the hon. Member to the reply from my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. McCrindle) on 28 November, at column405.
Suggestions have been made that condoms should be provided free as part of the fight against AIDS. Careful consideration will be given to whether this is likely to be worthwhile, given that they are already widely available at low cost.