HC Deb 04 March 1994 vol 238 cc922-3W
Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many suspected and confirmed cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob dementia have been reported to the surveillance units at Great Ormond Street, London and Edinburgh in the past 12 months; and what was the location of each case;

(2) if national health service clinicians are required to report suspected and confirmed cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob dementia to the surveillance units based at Great Ormond Street, London and Edinburgh.

Mr. Sackville

Suspected cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in the United Kingdom are reported to the national CJD surveillance unit in Edinburgh.

In the 12-month period to 28 February 1994, 48 cases of suspected CJD were referred to the national surveillance unit. Of this number, 31 are now deceased and their cause of death have been classified as:

Number
Definite 18
Probable 2
Possible 10
Other 1

Of the remaining 17 two are definite—CJD having been confirmed by biopsy—and four are probable.

The definite and probable cases were distributed throughout the United Kingdom reflecting population density, as shown in the table:

Number of definite and probable cases of CJD 1 March 1993 to 28 February 1994 by standard region
Number
Scotland 4
Northern Ireland 2
North 2
North West 1
Yorks/Humberside 4
Wales 2
West Midlands 1
East Midlands 2
East Anglia 1
South West 2
South East 5
Total 26

The unit based on the Institute of Child Health—Great Ormond Street hospital—is concerned with following up and counselling patients who received human pituitary derived growth hormone and who may now be at risk of contracting CJD. It is not involved with routine surveillance of CJD.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with the Secretaries of State for Scotland, for Wales and for Northern Ireland regarding the notification of suspected and confirmed cases of Creuzfeldt-Jakob dementia to her Department; and if she will place a copy of all related correspondence in the Library.

Mr. Sackville

Officials in the four Health Departments are in regular contact on these as on other matters of mutual interest.