§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in view of the fact that more than 60 per cent. of deaths resulting from heart attack occur within an hour after the attack, and that the ambulance transport period is often lost time in terms of diagnosis and treatment, he will study the National Aeronautics and Space Agency developed system whereby electrodes are sprayed on a patient's body so that heart signals can be radioed by a telemetry system to the hospital from a moving ambulance, enabling doctors reading electrocardiograms at a hospital to have advance knowledge of the patient's condition before the ambulance arrives.
§ Mr. AlisonWe are aware of the possible uses of telemetering of electrocardiographic and other biological data in this and related fields and officers in my Department are keeping the matter under review. We are, however, advised that the main delay is in summoning medical help in time to carry out early diagnosis and treatment in which telemetry and other methods under consideration could be useful. Studies designed to bring medical aid at the earliest possible moment following a heart attack are being carried out in the United Kingdom at a number of centres.