§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for State for Social Services how many people died of food poisoning in National Health Service hospitals in 1979 and each succeeding year, distinguishing between patients and others.
§ Mr. Whitney[pursuant to his reply, 15 January 1986, c. 605]: The numbers of deaths occurring in National Health Service hospitals in England and Wales, where the underlying cause of death was food poisoning,* are shown in the table for each available year since 1979.
These statistics are for place of death. The location of the deceased at the time of the acquisition of the infection is not known to the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. It is not possible from these statistics to distinguish between patients and others.
Number of Deaths from Food Poisoning* in National Health Service Hospitals, England and Wales 1979 to 1984 Year Number 1979 50 1980 36 1981 36 1982 62 1983 44 1984 53 * ICD Codes: 003 Other salmonella infections.
005 Other food poisoning (bacterial).
988 Toxic effects of noxious substances eaten as food.
(Excludes typhoid, paratyphoid and dysentery.)