§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the re-assurances given by the manufacturer of cimetidine that it does not cause gastric cancer; if his Department will undertake to make an ex gratia payment 807W to any patient who contracts cancer after being prescribed cimetidine within the National Health Service; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. VaughanThere is no evidence from long-term safety studies in animals that cimetidine is likely to cause an increased risk of gastric cancer. Adverse reactions to marketed drugs are carefully monitored by the Committee on Safety of Medicines, and no evidence has become available through adverse reaction reports to give concern on this account in the time that cimetidine has been on the market. The manufacturer advises that it is important to exclude malignancy before treatment with cimetidine since the drug may alleviate the symptoms of such a cancer and thus delay diagnosis and treatment.
Under the law as it stands, liability to pay compensation is a matter for the parties directly concerned—that is the
808W
NUMBERS OF ABORTIONS NOTIFIED AS OCCURRING IN THE AREAS COVERED BY YORKSHIRE REGIONAL HEALTH AUTHORITY AND NORTH WESTERN REGIONAL HEALTH AUTHORITY 1975 TO 1978 1975 1976 1977 1978 Yorkshire RHA RHA NHS … … … … … … 2,663 2,601 2,654 2,603 Non-NHS … … … … … … 2,684 2,729 3,273 3,639 N.W RHA RHA NHS … … … … … … 3,640 3,769 3,661 3,756 Non-NHS … … … … … … — — 101 1,099 (1979 data not yet available) Information is not readily available as to how many of these were performed after a 20 week gestation period, but the following figures relating to women normally resident in each area distinguish cases (regardless of the place of abortion) in which the gestation period exceeded 17 and 24 weeks. NUMBERS OF NOTIFIED ABORTIONS TO WOMEN NORMALLY RESIDENT IN THE AREAS COVERED BY THE YORKSHIRE REGIONAL HEALTH AUTHORITY AND THE NORTH-WESTERN REGIONAL HEALTH AUTHORITY 1975 TO 1978 YORKSHIRE REGIONAL HEALTH AUTHORITY 1975 1976 1977 1978 NHS hospitals Total abortions … … … … … … 2,669 2,598 2,630 2,556 17–23 … … … … … … 97 90 85 88 24 and over … … … … … … 5 8 3 4 Non-NHS premises Total abortions … … … … … … 3,642 3,301 3,330 3,876 17–23 weeks … … … … … … 102 120 106 124 24 and over … … … … … … 4 6 8 10 NORTH WESTERN REGIONAL HEALTH AUTHORITY 1975 1976 1977 1978 NHS hospitals Total abortions … … … … … … 3,525 3,660 3,497 3,648 17–23 … … … … … … 137 104 139 172 24 and over … … … … … … 9 10 13 10 Non-NHS premises Total abortions … … … … … … 3,614 3,383 3,423 4,138 17–23 weeks … … … … … … 118 121 129 175 24 and over … … … … … … 1 3 6 8 patient's doctor or the pharmaceutical company—and arises only if negligence can be proved on the facts of the case. My right hon. Friend does not intend to make ex gratia payments in the circumstances described.