§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will make available screening and counselling facilities for those people who wish to ascertain if they carry the trait of sickle cell disease;
(2) if he will establish sickle cell information and screening centres like the one based at Willesden general hospital;
(3) if he will take steps to ensure that all newborn babies from high risk groups be screened for sickle cell disease.
§ Dr. VaughanThe Department has drawn the attention of all health authorities to recommendation 30 in the fifth report from the Home Affairs Committee, Session 1980–81, on racial disadvantage to the effect that hospitals in high risk areas should consider providing neonatal and adult screening facilities for sickle cell disease. Such facilities are already provided by a number of health authorities serving high risk communities. It is for authorities themselves to decide on the priority to be given to extending them within the resources available.
§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what statistics are collected by health authorities about the incidence and mortality rates of sickle cell disease.
§ Dr. VaughanStatistics are collected only for all haemoglobin disorders taken together. It is, however, estimated that some 10 per cent. of persons of Afro-Caribbean descent in the country are healthy sickle cell trait carriers and that in the same population one in 400 babies is born with sickle cell disease.
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§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will produce a leaflet to give to people about sickle cell disease;
(2) what funds are provided by the Health Education Council for educational materials about sickle cell disease.
§ Dr. VaughanExplanatory leaflets on sickle cell disease have been produced by the Sickle Cell society with financial assistance from the Health Education Council, and by the Commission for Racial Equality in conjunction with the Organisation for Sickle Cell Anaemia Research. The Health Education Council is considering the production of a further leaflet for wider distribution and discussions on this subject are currently taking place between the council and the Department.
§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to ensure that all members of high risk groups be screened prior to surgery and during pregnancy to detect undiagnosed cases of sickle cell disease.
§ Dr. VaughanI refer the right hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Brigg and Scunthorpe (Mr. Brown) on 6 July 1981—[Vol. 8, c.135.]
§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give further consideration to exempting those suffering from sickle cell disease from prescription charges.
§ Dr. VaughanI refer the right hon. Member to the reply given to him by my hon. Friend on 19 January—[Vol. 997, c.56.] The situation has not changed since then.
§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will circulate updated information on sickle cell disease to all general practitioners and health authorities;
(2) what guidance is given by his Department to the medical profession about sickle cell disease and trait; if he is satisfied that this is sufficient; and if he will increase the amount provided.
§ Dr. VaughanI have arranged for the Department to raise with the postgraduate medical deans of universities the question of including the subject of sickle cell disease in their courses for doctors.
§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will allocate funds for research and development projects related to provisions for sickle cell disease.
§ Dr. VaughanResearch into the incidence and significance of sickle cell disease in this country is already being carried out by haematologists who are experts in this field and have formed an ad hoc sickle cell committee. This has collected data on numbers of sickle cell disease patients and is proposing to carry out further studies on the natural history of the disease, the management of painful episodes and infections and the particular complications it presents in pregnancy. The Department has recognised this disease and other inherited disorders of haemoglobin as a research priority and has informed the Medical Research Council of its view. The Medical Research Council, with funds provided by the Department of Education and Science and the Health and Social Security Departments, 171W is supporting research into sickle cell disease at the university of the West Indies, Jamaica, and at the molecular haematology unit in Oxford.