§ Mrs. Bridget PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the interval between her Department's receipt of a warning from Siemens in respect of certain pacemakers and the issue of pacemaker technical note No. 48; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. SackvilleTwenty-five working days elapsed between the Department of Health first being advised of the Siemens pacemaker lead problem and the issue of pacemaker technical note No. 48.
The pacemaker technical note was a follow-up to the medical advisory notice issued by Siemens on 4 February 1993 to all relevant clinicians notifying them of the problem. The action was dependent on Siemens advising the Department of the publication of its advisory notice. Eleven working days elapsed between receipt of this information and the publication of the pacemaker technical note. Copies of both documents are available in the Library.