§ Mr. Ken HargreavesTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps his Department is taking to improve public awareness of, and screening, counselling and treatment for, sickle cell disease and thalassaemia; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. CurrieIn view of the importance Ministers attach to work in this area, I met representatives of The Sickle Cell Society, the Organisation of Sickle Cell Anaemia Research (OSCAR) and the Sickle Cell Anaemia Relief Foundation (SCARF) on 23 June to discuss a number of matters which included
- —the uptake of the haemoglobinopathy card (that is the cards for those with sickle cell anaemia or Thalassaemia, or with the trait for those diseases) launched in April this year
- —a letter which the Department is today issuing to health authorities, seeking information about the screening and counselling they provide for people at risk from these diseases, to give us a baseline of information for a review of policy in these areas. (A copy of this letter is being placed in the Library)
- —public and professional awareness of these serious blood disorders and the need for a future programme of work to increase this
- —future co-ordination of voluntary work on the haemoglobinopathies
- —future grant aid for the voluntary bodies.
The SCS and OSCAR already receive grants of £15,000 pa. I am glad to announce that the grant to the Thalassaemia Society, which is to have a meeting with me later this year, is being increased to £15,000 to help with their important work in providing information about the condition and support for sufferers and their families.