§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) which hospitals have performed bone marrow transfusions in each year since 1970; and how many were carried out in each case;
(2) how many patients it is estimated are currently waiting for bone marrow transfusions;
(3) what is the average cost of a bone marrow transfusion on the National Health Service;
(4) what information is available about possible donors for bone marrow transfusions;
(5) how many (a) children and (b) adults died of leukaemia in each year since 1970; and how many it is estimated could have survived with the help of a bone marrow transfusion;
154W(6) what was the cost of treating leukaemia for the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will break this down into various categories.
§ Dr. Vaughan[pursuant to his reply, 24 June 1980, c. 152]: Since 1970 the majority of bone marrow transplantations have been carried out at the Royal Marsden hospital, the Hammersmith hospital, and the Westminster children's hospital. The numbers carried out at these hospitals up to the end of 1979 were 89, 21 and 35 respectively. No national waiting list of patients for bone marrow transplantation is maintained. It is estimated that about 300 patients a year might benefit from such transplants. A recent study at the Royal Marsden hospital suggests that the average cost of a bone marrow translant is about £6,000 in addition to the costs of preliminary treatment. Donors normally have to be close blood relatives of the patient and only one in four patients are likely to have a suitable donor relative. Research is being carried out at the Westminster children's hospital into the use of bone marrow from tissue-matched donors who are not relatives and a large computerised panel of volunteers is available. The number who died from leukaemia in each year since 1970 is set out in the table below. It is not possible to estimate how many of these might have survived with the help of a bone marrow transplantation. The costs of treating the various forms of leukaemia are not accurately known but work in the Department is in progress, as part of a general consideration of the costs and benefits of bone marrow transplantation in this country, to estimate the cost of treating acute myeloid leukaemia.
DEATHS FROM LEUKAEMIA 1970–78 (ENGLAND AND WALES) Age 14 and under Age 15 and over Total 1970 334 2,650 2,984 1971 339 2,680 3,019 1972 327 2,797 3,124 1973 288 2,757 3,045 1974 277 2,824 3,101 1975 283 2,911 3,194 1976 232 2,960 3,192 1977 246 2,953 3,199 1978 262 3,110 3,372 Source:
1970–73 Registrar General's Statistical Review, Part I, Table 19.
1974–78 OPCS Annual Reference, Mortality Statistics Area, Vol. DH5, Table 4.