§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children suffered adverse effects last year from prescribed drugs that required hospital treatment. [126718]
§ Dr. LadymanData from Hospital Episode Statistics indicates that there were 2,778 admissions to hospital of children under 16 years due to adverse effects from drugs, medicines and biological substances in therapeutic use in national health service hospitals in England in 2001–02. These data include adverse effects from all medicines, whether prescribed or taken without prescription. It is important to note that these figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have been admitted to hospital more than once in the year.