§ Mrs. Sally Oppenheimasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what provisions have been made for hospitals to deal with rabies cases; and to what extent there has been informative advice and widespread supply of vaccine under the supervision of his Department.
§ Dr. OwenIn my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Blaydon (Mr. Woof) on 27th May—[Vol 912, c.338–9]. I outlined measures to be taken for the treatment of rabies. The WHO Expert Committee on rabies in its sixth report (1973) recommended that patients should be isolated in intensive care units and given careful nursing, medical supervision and symptomatic treatment. Such facilities are available in this country. A memorandum on rabies for issue to the 1016W National Health Service is currently in preparation in consultation with experts.
Doctors are aware that stocks of antirabies serum and vaccine are held in this country at centres in London, Liverpool, Newcastle, Exeter, Leeds and Birmingham; stocks are also available at Cardiff, Belfast, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Inverness.