HL Deb 16 July 1998 vol 592 cc39-40WA
The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have any means of tracing those individuals who have reported suspected adverse reactions to exposure to organophosphate sheep dips to the Veterinary Products Committee since 1985; and, if they have, whether they would agree to a follow-up procedure to ascertain the current state of health of these individuals. [HL2558]

Lord Donoughue

The names and addresses of individuals who have reported suspected adverse reactions (SARs) to organophosphorus sheep dips, at the time of the report, are recorded at the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. Since the scheme began in 1985, reports of 640 human SARs related to OP sheep dips have been received by the VMD.

The function of the Suspected Adverse Reactions Surveillance Scheme (SARSS) is to identify developing trends in SARs and to report to the Veterinary Products Committee (VPC). Where people feel unwell, they should first consult their doctor and the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Psychiatrists have formed a working group to advise on clinical management of patients with symptoms attributable to chronic OP exposure. It is not the practice of the SARSS or the VPC to pass on the names and addresses of those reporting a suspected adverse reaction to the working group, for reasons of confidentiality. Of those SARs reported to the VMD to date, only 78 were notified by medical practitioners.