§ Ms. RichardsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what advice he is giving to women who make inquiries to his Department on how they can obtain information on whether they were at any time fitted with a Dalkon shield intra uterine device;
(2) whether he has issued guidance to health authorities and family practitioner committees on assisting women who make inquiries to obtain information on whether they were at any time fitted with a Dalkon shield intra uterine device.
§ Mr. John EvansTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will reconsider its position not to launch a public information campaign to inform women of any rights they may have in regard to any injuries caused by the Dalkon shield contraceptive device.
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§ Mrs. Currie[holding answer 25 November 1988]: We have no plans to initiate a public information campaign in relation to this matter of litigation in the United States courts. Publicity conducted in the United Kingdom by the Dalkon shield manufacturers has been approved by the courts concerned.
Our guidance to health authorities about the release of information in the context of civil legal proceedings is contained in HC(82)16, a copy of which is available in the Library. We have referred to that guidance in response to enquiries about the disclosure of records on the use of the Dalkon shield in individual cases.
In the case of family practitioner services, patients' medical records are held by general practitioners in the majority of cases. The General Medical Council issues guidance to doctors on the circumstances in which it is appropriate for confidential medical information to be released. We have received no inquiries about the provision of information by GPs to specific patients about their use of the Dalkon shield.