§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what guidance the chief medical officer at his Department has given on the professional position of doctors suffering from AIDS; what information he has as to the number of (a) general practitioners, (b) hospital doctors and (c) other doctors suffering from AIDS; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Newton[pursuant to his reply, 23 March 1987, c. 74]: Like any other sick person, doctors with AIDS would receive advice from their own medical practitioners on whether they were fit to continue at work. The expert advisory group on AIDS, which is chaired by the chief medical officer, is currently preparing guidance on whether any restrictions are needed on the employment of HIV-infected doctors. The current advice from the United States, where there is far greater experience of HIV infection, is that it is not necessary to recommend restrictions on the activity of health care workers who are infected with HIV. The Department does not have information on the occupation of patients with AIDS and is unable to provide the information requested.