§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will provide figures and details of the number of hospital admissions in the United 415W Kingdom due to the adverse effects of drugs upon individual patients.
§ Sir George YoungData on admissions are not available. It is estimated that in 1977, the latest year for which figures are available, 120,366 patients were discharged from or died in hospitals in the United Kingdom due to the adverse effects of medicinal agents.
§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services by what methods he hopes to influence doctors to adopt more effective prescribing in order to keep the increase in drug costs at the same level as in the National Health Services as a whole.
§ Sir George YoungI refer the hon. Member to my hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, East (Mr. Thomas) on 19 June.
A recent important development has been the setting up of an informal working group of officials of the Department and representatives of the medical profession to identify further ways of encouraging effective prescribing.
A preliminary meeting has been arranged for 11 December to discuss the broad aims of the group and the sort of working practices it might adopt.—[Vol. 986, c. 635–36.]