§ Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if any effective treatment of retinitis pigmentosa is available under the National Health Service; and if he has any record of relief or improvement of this condition following treatment from other sources in the United Kingdom or elsewhere.
§ Mr. MoyleNo specific treatment has been accepted by ophthalmologists in this country as effective in preventing, arresting714W or curing retinitis pigmentosa and none is therefore commonly practised under the National Health Service. Any doctor may of course prescribe or use any treatment that he feels may benefit an individual patient. My Department does not maintain records of the success of treatment from other sources, but a Medical Research Council working party on research into retinitis pigmentosa is reviewing amongst other aspects all the known treatments for the disease.
§ Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will provide his estimate of the number of persons suffering from retinitis pigmentosa in England and Wales at present; and if this condition is increased or more frequently diagnosed.
§ Mr. MoyleAlthough there are no reliable official figures for retinitis pigmentosa sufferers, informed estimates suggest that there are between 10,000 and 25,000 in the United Kingdom. I have no evidence that the incidence of the disease has increased, although it is possible that increasing knowledge has led to more frequent and precise diagnosis.