[{"topic":"Health services","id":"44209","proposer":"10288","edm":"77","session":"2012-13","title":"Safe Staffing For Older People's Wards","text":"That this House notes that hospital care for older people is currently an area of public concern and that all patients' experience of care should be one of safety, dignity and comfort, delivered by staff that have the right skills to care; welcomes the Royal College of Nursing's report on Safe staffing for older people's wards and its recommendations; and calls on the Government to adopt the report's recommendations to ensure the provision of good quality, compassionate and safe nursing care for all older people in hospital and thus to meet the expectations of patients, nurses and the public, both now and in the future.","date":"2012-05-17","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"44218","proposer":"10258","edm":"86","session":"2012-13","title":"Publication Of The Risk Register On Health And Social Care Bill Reforms","text":"That this House condemns the Government's decision to veto the ruling by the Information Commissioner to publish the risk register associated with the Health and Social Care Bill reforms; has significant doubts over whether this constitutes an exceptional case as required by the veto; and strongly urges the Government to reverse its decision and release the risk register at the earliest possible stage.","date":"2012-05-17","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"44133","proposer":"10521","edm":"1","session":"2012-13","title":"Cystic Fibrosis And Prescription Charges","text":"That this House believes that people with cystic fibrosis should not have to pay prescription charges.","date":"2012-05-09","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"44127","proposer":"10614","edm":"3019","session":"2010-12","title":"European Diabetes Leadership Forum","text":"That this House congratulates the OECD and Danish Diabetes Association on their hosting of the European Diabetes Leadership Forum in Copenhagen; welcomes the Copenhagen Road Map containing practical solutions for Europe to address the diabetes epidemic, produced by the forum attendees, which included governmental figures, private sector organisations and diabetes specialists; and urges the Government to build on the momentum of Denmark's commitment to addressing diabetes and chronic diseases during its European presidency, and to follow best practice outlined in the Copenhagen Road Map to tackle this problem which costs the NHS 1 million an hour.","date":"2012-04-30","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"44121","proposer":"10521","edm":"3013","session":"2010-12","title":"Cystic Fibrosis Week 2012","text":"That this House welcomes Cystic Fibrosis Week which takes place from 29 April to 5 May 2012; notes that Cystic Fibrosis Week provides a valuable opportunity to increase awareness and knowledge of cystic fibrosis and campaign for improvements in care and support for the 9,000 people with the condition in the UK; acknowledges that cystic fibrosis is one of the UK's most common life-threatening inherited diseases; further welcomes the latest figures which show that the median age of survival has increased to 41 years; acknowledges concerns that cystic fibrosis services are struggling because of the increased patient population, cut backs in posts vital to cystic fibrosis care and cuts in beds suitable for accommodating people with cystic fibrosis; and calls on the Government to ensure cystic fibrosis services are adequately resourced with extra bed capacity suitable for people with cystic fibrosis.","date":"2012-04-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"44110","proposer":"13934","edm":"3002","session":"2010-12","title":"London Model Of Care For Tuberculosis","text":"That this House expresses serious concern at the high risk of tuberculosis (TB) in London, which is the highest of any major city in Western Europe; notes that communities and healthcare professionals are poorly informed about TB risks and that current screening guidelines are not applied consistently or cost-effectively, increasing the risk of transmission; and calls on the Government to support the London Health Programme's Model of Care for Tuberculosis Services, which proposes to improve early detection and diagnosis through the creation of awareness-raising programmes for communities and health and social care workers, a pan-London commissioning board to co-ordinate and take responsibility for commissioning specialist TB services across the capital, better detection of latent TB and further work to controlTB in London.","date":"2012-04-24","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"44065","proposer":"12005","edm":"2957","session":"2010-12","title":"Gluten-Free Prescriptions","text":"That this House recognises that people with coeliac disease, for whom the only treatment is a strict gluten-free diet for life, must have access to gluten-free prescriptions to maintain their health as recommended by all healthcare professional guidelines; notes that without access to prescriptions, the most vulnerable people, those on low incomes, the elderly and those with mobility problems will suffer most as confirmed by independent research; and considers that the potential health risk to patients, including osteoporosis, infertility, and cancer of the small bowel, may cost the NHS more in the long run.","date":"2012-04-17","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"44067","proposer":"10292","edm":"2959","session":"2010-12","title":"Children's Heart Federation's Think Heart Campaign","text":"That this House notes that over 5,000 children are born each year with congenital heart disease (CHD) and a further 500 to 1,000 develop heart defects after they are born; further notes that CHD can cause great distress to parents and families and, therefore, welcomes the Children's Heart Federation's Think HEART campaign based upon the work of Dr Joan LaRovere, which seeks to educate parents and professionals about the warning signs of CHD, which include a child failing to thrive as a result of a heart rate which is too fast or too slow, a child being sleepy, quiet or too tired to eat, a child being blue, dusky or grey coloured, breathing too fast or too slow or if they are cold to touch; and calls on the Government to back the Think HEART campaign and give it whatever help it can to spread this important message which will raise awareness and help to save children's lives through earlier diagnosis of CHD.","date":"2012-04-17","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"44035","proposer":"12005","edm":"2928","session":"2010-12","title":"Gluten-Free Challenge Campaign","text":"That this House recognises that people with coeliac disease have an autoimmune disease for which the only treatment is a lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet; considers that for many of those diagnosed, eating out is a continuous challenge; urges those in the hospitality industry to reap the benefits of this market by providing safe, gluten-free options on menus; and commends and supports Coeliac UK for its Gluten-free Challenge campaign which aims to make eating out possible for all people with the condition, to significantly improve their quality of life and create understanding of coeliac disease.","date":"2012-03-27","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"44017","proposer":"24715","edm":"2911","session":"2010-12","title":"UK Donorlink","text":"That this House is concerned by the decision by the Department of Health to cease funding to UK DonorLink (UKDL), the voluntary information exchange and contact point for those genetically related through donor conception; is aware that the Department has decided instead to fund the National Gamete Donation Trust to run the voluntary register service alongside its current role of promoting donor conception; notes the strongly expressed views of UKDL registrants and professional bodies concerned with child and family welfare as to the inappropriateness of this due to the apparent conflict of interests; and urgently requests that this decision is reviewed.","date":"2012-03-21","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43951","proposer":"10614","edm":"2847","session":"2010-12","title":"Regional Variations In Diabetes Amputations","text":"That this House is deeply concerned by the regional variations in the number of amputations due to diabetes; notes that diabetes sufferers in certain areas are 10 times more likely to have an amputation than those in others; further notes that it is estimated that 80 per cent. of amputations due to diabetes are preventable with the right care and there are therefore approximately 80 preventable amputations due to diabetes a week; is alarmed by the fact that research shows these regional variations are related to the way care is organised; and calls on the Government to support a 50 per cent. reduction in amputations over five years and establish a specialist foot care team in every hospital in the UK.","date":"2012-03-08","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43806","proposer":"11707","edm":"2706","session":"2010-12","title":"Draft Nice Guidance For The Use Of Abiraterone","text":"That this House notes with serious concern that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued draft guidance for the use of the drug abiraterone, a life extending treatment for men in the final stages of prostate cancer, which could, if implemented, prevent the use of this cancer drug for the treatment of this condition in the NHS in England and Wales; is aware that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, that 32,500 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and that 10,000 men die from the disease in England and Wales every year; further notes that abiraterone can extend the life of men in the final stages of prostate cancerby an average of four months and improves their quality of life; calls on the Government to act immediately to ensure that men with prostate cancer are able to access this treatment to treat their health condition and help to prolong their life; further calls on NICE to reconsider its draft guidance and recommend abiraterone for the benefit of men with prostate cancer and their families; and considers that men should be able to access this drug through the Cancer Drugs Fund, if their clinicians prescribe it, irrespective of this draft decision by NICE.","date":"2012-02-08","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43741","proposer":"10088","edm":"2644","session":"2010-12","title":"Sudden Unexpected Death In Epilepsy (Sudep)","text":"That this House notes the tragic loss of life caused by Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), estimated at around 500 deaths in the UK each year; recognises that young people first taking responsibility for their own medication are particularly vulnerable to SUDEP; further notes the findings of a recent fatal accident inquiry held in Dundee Sheriff Court that the deaths of two young women aged 19 and 15 yearsmay have been avoided had the women and their parents received sufficient information about the risk of SUDEP on first diagnosis; and calls on the Department of Health to do everything in its power to raise awareness of the risks of SUDEP, with particular emphasis on teenagers and young people moving towards independence, to ensure those affected by epilepsy, and where relevant their families, are adequately informed of how best to reduce the risks associated with the condition.","date":"2012-01-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43734","proposer":"10527","edm":"2637","session":"2010-12","title":"Diabetes Care","text":"That this House congratulates the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) on the two-day blood glucose testing event in Parliament on 24 and 25 January; welcomes the work of IDF and its partners in raising awareness of the impact of diabetes in the UK; and urges the Government to build on events such as this to develop a new diabetes strategy to replace the National Service Framework for Diabetes which expires in 2013 in order to improve care and outcomes for the 2.9 million people in the UK with the condition and the 850,000 people who have the condition but do not realise it.","date":"2012-01-24","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43736","proposer":"11672","edm":"2639","session":"2010-12","title":"Age UK Care In Crisis Campaign","text":"That this House acknowledges that the current system of care and support is in crisis with many of those who need help and support beingbadly let down by a faltering system; and therefore calls on the Government to meet the calls of Age UK's Care in Crisis Campaign and to ensure it uses the forthcoming White Paper to create a sustainablecare and support system in which everyone who needs care receives it and is treated with the respect they deserve.","date":"2012-01-24","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43695","proposer":"13934","edm":"2599","session":"2010-12","title":"Preventing Babies' Deaths: What Needs To Be Done Report","text":"That this House congratulates Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, on the publication of its new report, Preventing Babies' Deaths: what needs to be done; notes that 17 babies are stillborn or die before they are one month old every day in the UK and that the number of stillbirths has not changed in more than a decade; acknowledges that many hundreds of babies' deaths could be avoided; and calls on the Government to tackle the issues outlined in the report relating to public health, research, data collection, resourcing, reviewing deaths and bereavement care to help prevent all avoidable baby deaths in the future.","date":"2012-01-16","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43674","proposer":"24904","edm":"2578","session":"2010-12","title":"Improving Care Home Residents' Access To Nhs Services","text":"That this House notes the recent Quest for Quality report by the British Geriatrics Society that suggests many of the estimated 400,000 older people resident in UK care homes have variable access to NHS services because of the type of accommodation in which they live; acknowledges that many people in care homes are highly vulnerable with over 40 per cent. suffering from dementia and over 75 per cent. living with a disability; accepts that while NHS provision to care homes can be excellent there is considerable unwarranted variation in the quality of provision, especially around medications management, dementia and end of life care; and calls on commissioners and health service planners to remember their obligations to ensure that the healthcare needs of this vulnerable group are adequately met.","date":"2012-01-11","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43675","proposer":"24754","edm":"2579","session":"2010-12","title":"National Outcomes Strategy For Neurological Conditions","text":"That this House notes that an estimated two million people have a neurological condition, excluding migraine, such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, essential tremor and motor neurone disease; further notes the findings of the National Audit Office report, Services for people with neurological conditions; further notes that neurological healthcare spending increased by 38 per cent. to 2.9 billion between 2006-07 and 2009-10, in addition to 2.4 billion spent on social care; further notesthat significant problems exist in co-ordinating health and social care; further notesthat emergency neurological hospital admissions increased by 32 per cent. between 2004-05 and 2009-10 compared to 17 per cent. for the NHS as a whole; further notesthere are considerable geographical variations in service provision; further notesthat there is no system for monitoring the impact of expenditure on neurology, or for holding commissioners to account for quality of care; and therefore urges the Government to create an outcomes strategy for neurology, overseen by a national clinical director, to address variations in service provision, deliver value for money and ensure that neurological services remain a priority.","date":"2012-01-11","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43689","proposer":"10089","edm":"2593","session":"2010-12","title":"Chiropractic","text":"That this House supports a greater awareness of chiropractic which has become recognised internationally as a cost effective treatment not only in terms of back pain and musculoskeletal disorders but also in reducing the use of medical services; and urges the Secretary of State for Health to facilitate greater ease of access to chiropractic services and to explore the potential savings that chiropractic can provide to general healthcare costs.","date":"2012-01-11","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43668","proposer":"10203","edm":"2573","session":"2010-12","title":"Failure Of Breast Implants","text":"That this House is alarmed at the inadequate protection of patients against faulty medical devices by Government andthe industry-funded Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency; notes that evidence of failure in breast implants in the UK greatly understated the dangers revealed in the rest of Europe and the US; draws attention to reports that recalls of devices are rising but manufacturers continue to suppress information on device failures; and calls for a review that will ensure that UK patients have guarantees on the safety and efficacy of devices equivalent to that of patients in the US.","date":"2012-01-10","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43624","proposer":"10436","edm":"2529","session":"2010-12","title":"Future Of The Children's Cardiac Unit At Leeds Infirmary","text":"That this House considers Sir Neil McKay's review of children's cardiac services has unreasonably weighted the odds against retaining the excellent children's cardiac centre at Leeds Infirmary by failing to consider the advantages of such units being placed in the same building as other hospital services, as they are in Leeds, by failing to adequately consult the wider areas such as Humberside, which depend on the Leeds unit, and by placing Leeds in only option Dfor retention, while other centres are in all options; takes the view thatthe consultation fails to recognise the excellence and the strengths of the Leeds unit and discounts the needs of the children over the wide areas of Yorkshire and Humberside who depend on it; and therefore urges the Department of Health not to drive Leeds and the Department to the expense and trouble of winning a judicial review against the consultation, such as that that the Royal Brompton has just been awarded, or to the future considerable expense of an unwise appeal aginst court decisions, but to listen to the strong concerns coming up from hospitals, health bodies, patients and the wider public in Yorkshire and Humberside against any threat of closure of the Leeds unit, to discount the bias against Leeds in the report and to give Leeds the fair prospect it deserves of carrying on its valuable work into the future.","date":"2011-12-12","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43608","proposer":"24794","edm":"2513","session":"2010-12","title":"Barnton Pharmacy","text":"That this House congratulates Barnton Pharmacy on being awarded both the Community Pharmacy of the Year trophy and the prize for Scottish Community Pharmacy at the Alliance Healthcare Pharmacy Awards; notes that these awards recognise the high standard of care given by staff at Barnton Pharmacy and commends the excellent work of pharmacists Leanne Carey and Sally Arnison; further notes the positive impact this achievement has had on the community and recognises the important role of pharmacists as health practitioners; applauds pharmacies throughout the UK in their work for treatment and prevention of serious conditions such as heart disease and diabetes; and supports pharmacists as they continue to deliver first-class front-line care.","date":"2011-12-06","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43570","proposer":"10834","edm":"2476","session":"2010-12","title":"Meningitis","text":"That this House notes that meningitis and septicaemia are serious and potentially life-threatening diseases, with one in 10 dying, while a quarter of survivors are left with life-altering after-effects such as amputations, brain damage, deafness, blindness and epilepsy; further notes that babies, teenagers and young adults are most at risk, with the diseases killing more babies and young children in the UK than any other infectious disease; welcomes the fact that over the last decade there has been significant progress in raising awareness and tackling the diseases with the introduction of new vaccinations; further notes however that there are many strains of bacterial meningitis for which there are no vaccinations; and calls on the Government to introduce new vaccines as soon as readily available to protect against all strains of meningitis and septicaemia.","date":"2011-11-24","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43551","proposer":"11513","edm":"2459","session":"2010-12","title":"Midwifery In The Nhs","text":"That this House pays tribute to the work of midwives in ensuring women have a safe and secure childbirth; recognises the pressures facing all those who work in maternity units, particularly in the context of a sharply rising birth rate; supports the right of women to choose where they give birth; and calls on NHS trusts to ensure there are adequate midwife numbers in their hospitals.","date":"2011-11-22","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43522","proposer":"24715","edm":"2431","session":"2010-12","title":"Housing And Health","text":"That this House welcomes the Northern Housing Consortium (NHC) publication, A Foot in the door: a guide to housing and health; supports the NHC's efforts to encourage greater co-operation between housing and health and wellbeing; notes the positive contribution housing makes to improving health outcomes and reducing health inequalities; further notes that 1.6 billion in housing-related support generated savings of 3.41 billion to the public purse including 315 million of savings to the health service in a year; and urges local leaders of health and wellbeing servicesto seize this unique opportunity to recognise their housing as a legitimate and fundamental partner in efforts to secure better health and wellbeing for all communities.","date":"2011-11-14","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43497","proposer":"13864","edm":"2407","session":"2010-12","title":"Organ Donation (No. 2)","text":"That this House believes that all people should automatically be classed as organ donors unless they expressly opt out; acknowledges that organs are viable from people over 80 years old; and calls on the Government to bring forward legislation as soon as is possible in order that more lives can be saved through organ donation.","date":"2011-11-09","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43506","proposer":"24966","edm":"2416","session":"2010-12","title":"Atos Healthcare","text":"That this House notes with concern that many hon. and right hon. Members have received complaints from disabled constituents on the practices of ATOS Healthcare; believes that the company is refusing claims from people who are later shown to be quite clearly unable to work; further believes that by continually reassessing claimants the company receives additional fees; and calls on the Government to press ahead with reforms that will abolish this system of assessment.","date":"2011-11-09","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43487","proposer":"10834","edm":"2397","session":"2010-12","title":"Care Home Closures In Cumbria","text":"That this House notes with deep concern the worsening crisis for elderly care as growing numbers of local authority care homes face closure; acknowledges concerns that the loss of elderly people's care homes causes fear, anxiety and, in many cases, a higher mortality rate when vulnerable, elderly people are forced to leave their homes; calls on the Government to hold a public inquiry into the deaths following closures of local authority care homes; and further calls on Cumbria County Council to halt its consultation on the closure of Park Lodge, Richmond Park and Woodlands care homes until that inquiry publishes its results to ensure that vulnerable, elderly people's lives are not put at further risk.","date":"2011-11-08","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43474","proposer":"24728","edm":"2385","session":"2010-12","title":"Occupational Therapy -\u0000 Making A Difference Campaign","text":"That this House supports Occupational Therapy Week focusing on the theme Occupational Therapy - Making a Difference, which runs from 7 to 13 November 2011, organised by the British Association and College of Occupational Therapists; congratulates occupational therapists employed in the Health Service, social care and across communities for their dedicated and vital work to aid the effective recovery of patients and allow them to recover ordinary lives; recognises that occupational therapists work in many spheres including those of children, young people and families, HIV\/AIDS, oncology, palliative care, housing, mental health, neurological practice, older people, people with learning disabilities, rheumatology, and trauma and orthopaedics using the knowledge that occupation is essential to human existence and good health and well-being; urges the Government to continue to recognises that occupational therapists are a significant section of the NHS clinical and social care workforce; further urges the Government to promote this work through the Health and Social Care Bill, giving occupational therapists representation at all levels of decision-making; and recommends that all hon. Members visit an occupational therapy service in their local area to see the important work that is being done.","date":"2011-11-07","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43461","proposer":"13934","edm":"2372","session":"2010-12","title":"World Diabetes Day (No. 3)","text":"That this House recognises that diabetes is a serious illness; notes that many complications resulting from diabetes can be prevented if people with diabetes receive all the vital 15 health checks and services they need as part of an integrated diabetes service; further notes that 14 November 2011 is World Diabetes Day; and calls on the Government to act by supporting DiabetesUK's 15 measures campaign and ensure that the 2.9 million people diagnosed with the condition in the UK receive the care they need to stay healthy.","date":"2011-11-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43463","proposer":"10057","edm":"2374","session":"2010-12","title":"Personal Mobility In State-Funded Care","text":"That this House welcomes the Low Review, prompted by Mencap and Leonard Cheshire Disability, into personal mobility in residential care; notes its quotation that `people in residential care should have the same entitlement as anyone else to exercise choice and control over their care and how they live' from the Government's November 2010 A Vision for Adult Social Care; accepts the need to be able to fulfil aspirations including mobility whether in a parent's home, a home in the community or in a residential home; and further welcomes the seven recommendations including that disabled people living in state-funded residential care should be eligible to receive the mobility component on the same basis as disabled people receiving care in their own homes.","date":"2011-11-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43448","proposer":"10715","edm":"2359","session":"2010-12","title":"Lung Cancer Surgery","text":"That this House recognises the achievements of the NHS in improving the number of patients accessing surgery for lung cancer by 60 per cent. from 3,276 operations in 2006 to 5,265 patients receiving an operation in 2010 and the impact this has on surviving the illness; notes the role of the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery and the Royal College of Surgeons of England in changing training to produce a new specialism in lung cancer surgery; and calls on those trusts lagging behind to employ lung specialists and invest in training for minimally invasive techniques so even more patients may benefit from improved life expectancy.","date":"2011-11-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43451","proposer":"24928","edm":"2362","session":"2010-12","title":"Ipilimumab (Yervoy) For Patients With Advanced Melanoma","text":"That this House welcomes the campaign by the Karen Clifford Skin Cancer Charity and Factor50 to improve access to treatments for patients with advanced melanoma; notes that in 2008 there were 11,767 new cases of malignant melanoma diagnosed in the UK and that whilst the majority of skin cancers are treatable, malignant melanoma is a particularly aggressive form of skin cancer causing the deaths of over 2,000 people in the UK each year; further notes that melanoma is the second most common cancer among young adults aged between 15 and 34 and that recent data published in the British Journal of Cancer predicts that the incidence rate of melanoma will increase more than any other cancer by 2030, rising by 52 per cent. for both men and women; is therefore deeply concerned that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence(NICE) has issued draft guidance which restricts the use of Ipilimumab (Yervoy) for previously treated advanced malignant melanoma for patients in England and Wales; is furtherconcerned that there have been no licensed treatments for this patient group for over 30 years; and calls on NICE to reconsider its draft guidance for the benefit of patients with advanced melanoma, many of whom have young families.","date":"2011-11-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43454","proposer":"10222","edm":"2365","session":"2010-12","title":"Pancreatic Cancer UK And Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month","text":"That this House welcomes Pancreatic Cancer Awareness month in November and the launch of Pancreatic Cancer UK's Study for Survival report; expresses concern over the report's findings of unacceptable standards of care and treatment for the majority of patients; acknowledges that there is an urgent need to address shortcomings in the pancreatic cancer patient experience to improve survival rates and quality of life; notes that pancreatic cancer has the worst survival rate for any cancer in the UK, with only three per cent. of people diagnosed with the disease surviving beyond five years, something which has not changed significantly in the last 40 years; expresses disappointment that pancreatic cancer receives only one per cent. of research funding for cancer in the UK, despite being the cause of five per cent. of cancer deaths; encourages all-party commitment to support and improvement in care through a number of measures, including improving early diagnosis, eradicating geographical variations in care and ensuring that patients are better involved in their care and supported by clinical nurse specialists; supports Pancreatic Cancer UK's Campaign for Hope, which aims to double survival rates for pancreatic cancer patients over the next five years; and calls on the Government to ensure this ambition becomes a reality.","date":"2011-11-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43431","proposer":"11707","edm":"2343","session":"2010-12","title":"Movember","text":"That this House welcomes the start of Movember on 1 November, the aim of which is to raise vital funds and awareness for men's health, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men; notes that 11.7 million was raised in 2010 by thousands of men growing a moustache throughout the month of November; hopes that 2011 will be even more successful, that more men will participate and that it will raise even more money to support the number one and number two male specific cancers: prostate and testicular cancer; and further notes that the funds raised are directed to programmes run directly by Movember and their men's health partners, The Prostate Cancer Charity and the Institute of Cancer Research, to support a broad range of innovative, world-class programmes in the areas of awareness and education, survivorship and research.","date":"2011-11-01","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43437","proposer":"24924","edm":"2349","session":"2010-12","title":"Institute Of Cardiovascular Medicine And Science","text":"That this House welcomes the establishment of the Institute of Cardiovascular Medicine and Science with the mission to improve outcomes in cardiovascular medicine; applauds the quality of the link established between Imperial College London, the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital and the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital in Broadgreen and their ambition to become a world leader in cardiovascular research by 2016, thereby improving patient outcomes through advances in prevention, diagnosis and treatment; notes that the underlying philosophy is to be academically-led but clinically-driven, providing an exciting opportunity to pool the expertise of cardiovascular clinicians from two major centres together with the international leaders in the field of cardiovascular medicine to train the next generation of specialists; is delighted that three of the four research themes are to be led by Liverpool clinicians Dr Rod Stables, Dr Derek Todd and Dr Jay Wright with Professor John Pepper leading the fourth theme at the Royal Brompton; and wishes the new Institute every success in the years ahead.","date":"2011-11-01","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43439","proposer":"24794","edm":"2351","session":"2010-12","title":"The Prostate Cancer Charity And Movember","text":"That this House recognises that prostate cancer is the most common cancer amongst men with 37,000 men diagnosed each year and one man dying every hour from the disease in the UK; acknowledges that nine out of 10 men diagnosed with prostate cancer are over 60 years old and that those with a family history and men from an African Caribbean background are at higher risk; supports the right of every man over 50, and younger men at higher risk, to have access to balanced information about the prostate-specific antigen test which can help diagnose prostate cancer; welcomes the work carried out by the international charity Movember, where men are encouraged to grow moustaches to raise awareness and funds, with the money raised by Movember in the UK supporting the programmes of The Prostate Cancer Charity to support people affected by the disease and research into the causes, prevention and treatment of prostate cancer as well as the Institute for Cancer Research's programmes around testicular cancer; and calls on the Government to support Movember in raising vital awareness and funds for this terrible disease and to better last year's 112,000 participants and the 11.7 million raised in the UK.","date":"2011-11-01","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43410","proposer":"10428","edm":"2322","session":"2010-12","title":"Disabled Children And Children With Complex Health Needs","text":"That this House notes the findings of the report produced by the campaign organisation Every Disabled Child Matters and the Children's Trust which calls for action to ensure that the NHS addresses long-standing problems experienced by disabled children in accessing health services in the UK; believes the Government should use every opportunity to reform and create a system that works for disabled children rather than leaving families to fill the gaps in provision; and calls on the Government in itsfuture health policies to set priorities for children's health as part of its mandate to NHS commissioning boards and to instruct the Department of Health to set out a clear vision of the way in which it can deliver and maintain a system which can fullymeet the healthneeds of all disabled children and children with complex health needs.","date":"2011-10-31","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43416","proposer":"10527","edm":"2328","session":"2010-12","title":"World Diabetes Day (No. 2)","text":"That this House welcomes World Diabetes Day on 14 November and notes that one person every four seconds somewhere in the world is diagnosed with the condition and that tens of millions of people worldwide, and up to one million people in the UK, have the condition but remain untreated; further notes that early diagnosis and treatment reduces the risks of complications such as stroke, heart disease and amputation; expresses the hope that anyone experiencing some of the common early symptoms such as weight variation, tiredness or thirst to see their GP without delay for a simple test; and praises the work of diabetes charities, patient groups and health professionals who come together on World Diabetes Day to raise awareness and thank those who work to find ever more effective treatment regimes for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.","date":"2011-10-31","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43418","proposer":"24889","edm":"2330","session":"2010-12","title":"Organ Donation","text":"That this House regrets the deaths of 511 patients in the UK whilst waiting for organ transplants in the year to 31 March 2011; notes that at the end of that month 7,800 UK patients were waiting for transplants; further notes that although approximately 65 per cent. of the public would be willing to donate an organ after death, only 29 per cent. are on the NHS Organ Donation Register; recognises the Welsh Government's plan to introduce a soft opt-out system of organ donation in Wales, which it believes will lead to a decrease in the number of avoidable deaths in Wales; believes that the introduction of such a system across the UK could save many hundreds of lives per year; and calls on the Government to look again at the feasibility of a UK-wide opt-out system of organ donation.","date":"2011-10-31","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43379","proposer":"24852","edm":"2291","session":"2010-12","title":"European Parliament Written Declaration On Epilepsy","text":"That this House welcomes the European Parliament's Written Declaration on Epilepsy 0022\/2011, submitted by MEPs Gay Mitchell, Nirj Deva, Marian Harkin, Peter Skinner and Angelika Werthmann and passed on 15 September 2011; notes that the Declaration was signed by 459 MEPs, which is the third highest number of signatures of all disease-related declarations since 2004; further notes that the Declaration states that six million people in Europe have epilepsy, with 300,000 new cases diagnosed each year; is concerned that, according to the Declaration, 40 per cent. of people with epilepsy in Europe do not receive appropriate treatment and 40 per cent. of children with epilepsy have difficulties at school; acknowledges that, according to the Declaration, people with epilepsy in Europe experience high levels of unemployment, are exposed to stigma and prejudice and can experience disruption to every aspect of life which can impose physical, psychological and social burdens on individuals and families; further welcomes the Declaration's calls for research and innovation in prevention and early diagnosis and treatment and for the recognition of epilepsy as a major disease that imposes a significant burden; and urges the Government to take steps to comply with the Declaration's demands for EU member states to introduce appropriate legislation to protect the rights of all people with epilepsy.","date":"2011-10-20","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43384","proposer":"10147","edm":"2296","session":"2010-12","title":"Safeguarding Speech And Language Therapy","text":"That this House welcomes the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists' Giving Voice campaign to safeguard speech and language therapy services; recognises that speech and language therapy transforms lives and enables people to participate in society; notes that speech and language therapy plays a vital role in health, education, social care and criminal justice; further notes that a leading economic consultancy report found that speech and language therapy delivers a net benefit to the UK economy of 765 million; further notes with concern that the restructuring of the NHS has already resulted in a worrying reduction of clinical leadership posts; further notes that there are potential job losses in Coventry and across the UK; believes that the structuring of services across health, education and social care make them more vulnerable to cuts; and calls on the Government to safeguard access to speech and language therapy services for those who need it in Coventry and across the UK.","date":"2011-10-20","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43354","proposer":"11427","edm":"2271","session":"2010-12","title":"Muscular Dystrophy Campaign And The Charity Times Campaigning Team Of The Year Award 2011","text":"That this House congratulates the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign on winning the Campaigning Team of the Year at the Charity Times Awards 2011; notes that the judges praised an outstanding campaign with outstanding results; recognises the tireless dedication and commitment of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign's supporters in campaigning for service improvements; further notes the contribution of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Muscular Dystrophy in working with the NHS and campaigners to improve services; welcomes the national neuromuscular work plan which is currently being undertaken by the Departmentof Health; and hopes that there will be further service improvements for people with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions across the UK.","date":"2011-10-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43361","proposer":"10428","edm":"2278","session":"2010-12","title":"Social Care And The National Autistic Society","text":"That this House views both the shocking abuse witnessedin the Winterbourne View case and the collapse of Southern Cross as indicative of areas of the care system being in crisis; re-emphasises the urgent need for the Government to prioritise investment in social care, a sector hugely important for both those suffering ill health, injury, or disability in communities, but also for local and national economies; believes that there is a desperate need to create and maintain a sustainable, fully-funded and fair social care system, especially for people suffering from autism and other similar conditions in relation to which a recent survey conducted by the National Autistic Society exposed the fact that two-thirds of adults with autism were not getting the support they needed; and calls on the Governmenturgently tobring forward before 2012 a White Paper in line with the recommendations of the Dilnot Commission about the reform of social care, which would raise the means test level to 100,000, create a national system of eligibility and assessment, put in place measures to relieve any short-term crisis in social care funding and sustainably increase funding for care and support in the long-term.","date":"2011-10-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43333","proposer":"10383","edm":"2251","session":"2010-12","title":"Deaths Following Residential Home Closures","text":"That this House notes with deep concern the worsening crisis for elderly care as growing numbers of local authority and private care homes face closure; acknowledges concerns that the loss of elderly people's care homes causes fear, anxiety and, in many cases, a higher mortality rate when vulnerable, elderly people are forced to leave their homes; further notes that the Southern Cross crisis will increase the need for local authority care; and therefore calls on the Government to hold a public inquiry into the deaths followingclosures of local authority care homes and impose a moratorium on the closure of local authority care homes until that inquiry publishes its results to ensure that vulnerable, elderly people's lives are not put at further risk.","date":"2011-10-13","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43309","proposer":"24852","edm":"2230","session":"2010-12","title":"Mumsnet Miscarriage Campaign","text":"That this House welcomes the Mumsnet miscarriage campaign to improve the support, treatment and care women and their families receive during and after miscarriage; notes that one in four women will miscarry; calls on the Government, hon. Members and local healthcare providers to campaign for and prioritise supportive staff; and further calls for improved access to scanning, safe and appropriate places for treatment, good provision of information, effective treatment and joined-up care.","date":"2011-10-11","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43272","proposer":"11093","edm":"2194","session":"2010-12","title":"Nottinghamshire Care Homes","text":"That this House notes Nottinghamshire County Council is implementing its plan to asset strip the public sector by cherry picking only the most modern of their care homes to sell to the private sector; believes that this does not provide valuefor money to Nottinghamshire taxpayers; and is concerned about the quality of care the residents will continue to receive.","date":"2011-09-15","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43249","proposer":"10159","edm":"2171","session":"2010-12","title":"Pleural Plaques Compensation Scheme","text":"That this House welcomes the Pleural Plaques Compensation Scheme which was introduced last year; is disappointed the scheme closed to new applicants on 1 August 2011; and urges the Government to reconsider its decision and put in place further plans to provide compensation to those sufferers diagnosed with pleural plaques since 17 October 2007.","date":"2011-09-13","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43245","proposer":"24784","edm":"2167","session":"2010-12","title":"Argos Ltd","text":"That this House notes recent unfair criticism of Argos; believes that Argos is a great British company employing over 33,000 people and contributing 4.3 billion in sales to the UK economy, including two major sites in Harlow; welcomes the fact that Argos funds the Teenage Cancer Trust, which helps the NHS to provide vital treatment to all teenagers suffering from cancer; further notes that Argos has over 700 stores, serving over 130 million customers a year, with another 20 stores opening in 2011 (creating many hundreds ofnew jobs); and further notes that 18 million UK households, or around two thirds of the population have an Argos catalogue at home at any one time.","date":"2011-09-12","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43225","proposer":"11923","edm":"2149","session":"2010-12","title":"Radiotherapy Services At Westmorland General Hospital","text":"That this House notes that prior to July 2011, cancer patients from the South Lakes requiring chemotherapy treatment had to make gruelling journeys outside the area for treatment; welcomes the new Grizedale Chemotherapy Unit at Westmorland General Hospital which is now providing much needed treatment for hundreds of cancer patients across the South Lakes; believes that while this is a big step forward in the campaign to bring full cancer treatment services to the South Lakes it is still essential that radiotherapy services are also brought to Westmorland General Hospital; further notes that the National Radiotherapy Advisory Group recommends that radiotherapy patients should not have to travel more than 45 minutes to receive treatment and that currently patients in the South Lakes have to travel a minimum of 60 minutes to Royal Preston Hospital for treatment; further welcomes the fact that the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust have submitted a business plan to NHS commissioners for a satellite radiotherapy unit at Westmorland General Hospital; and calls on the commissioners to approve this bid as soon as possible.","date":"2011-09-07","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43192","proposer":"10614","edm":"2118","session":"2010-12","title":"Leicester Hospitals Overspend","text":"That this House notes with concern Leicester's hospitals' estimated 8 million overspend, 2 million more than previously thought; further notes with alarm that the budget for wages may well be exhausted by September 2011; recognises that Leicester's hospitals provide an excellent and invaluable service that must be protected; further notes that the hospitals are already facing a cost-cutting initiative to save 38 million by March 2012; calls on the Government to safeguard the services offered by the NHS and Leicester's hospitals without compromising patient care and wellbeing; and asks the Government to consider a rescue package of financial support and advice to ensure this situation does not worsen or repeat itself.","date":"2011-07-20","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43168","proposer":"11707","edm":"2097","session":"2010-12","title":"Closure Of Withington Walk-In Centre","text":"That this House notes the recent outcome of the consultation on the future of minor illness and minor injury urgent care in Manchester; notes that NHS Manchester had been forced to find savings as part of the previous Labour administration's 20 billion cuts to the NHS and this resulted in the temporary closure of Withington Walk-in Centre; recognises the benefits and potential cost savings in co-locating 24 hour walk-in services alongside accident and emergency departments, but opposes the decision of NHS Manchester to permanently close Withington Walk-in Centre; recalls that justification for the closure of Burnage Walk-in Centre included the close proximity of Withington Walk-in Centre; recognises that when Withington Hospital was closed by the previous Labour administration, promises were made to local people on the provision of services at the new Community Hospital and is appalled that promises are not being kept, while NHS Manchester is honouring expensive walk-in contracts with private providers; supports the aim of NHS Manchester to ensure same day access at local GP surgeries, but questions whether this will be possible at all practices, particularly those which are single doctor surgeries; and therefore urges NHS Manchester to reverse its plans to close Withington Walk-in Centre.","date":"2011-07-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43148","proposer":"24966","edm":"2077","session":"2010-12","title":"Registration Of Autism","text":"That this House notes that there is no cure for autism; calls on the Government to introduce a scheme to enable parents to register their children as autistic to prevent them from having to fill in forms each year which confirm their children have this lifelong developmental disability; and believes that reregistering every year is a waste of time and resources for both the National Health Service and the families involved.","date":"2011-07-13","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43153","proposer":"10383","edm":"2082","session":"2010-12","title":"Yunus Bakhsh","text":"That this House congratulates Mr Yunus Bakhsh on securing reinstatement after his unfair dismissal by the Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Trust; notes that Mr Bakhsh was a long-serving nurse and trade union representative whose unfair dismissal was found to bea result of trade union victimisation and disability discrimination; deplores the refusal of the Trust to agree to Mr Bakhsh's reinstatement in line with the order of the Employment Tribunal; further notes that Mr Bakhsh incurred considerable expense arranging legal representation and calls on the Trust to pay his legal costs; and further calls on the Secretary of State for Health to investigate the conduct of the case by the Trust and the expenditure of hundreds and thousands of pounds of public money in a failed attempt to justify the victimisation of a trade union official.","date":"2011-07-13","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43145","proposer":"10288","edm":"2074","session":"2010-12","title":"Foetal Alcohol Syndrome","text":"That this House notes with concern research carried out at the Medical Research Council's laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, which has concluded that alcohol damages DNA and can cause permanent genetic damage to unborn children; is aware that binge drinking by young women is widespread and that Britain also has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in the developed world with such pregnancies often associated with alcohol consumption; believes therefore that many genetically damaged babies are being born in Britain each year, which is tragic for those children and for their families but also a growing problem for wider society; draws specific attention to comments made by Dr Ketan Patel who led the research that shows foetal alcohol syndrome leads to birth defects and learning difficulties;considers that mild exhortations to pregnant women to drink sensibly are wholly inadequate to address the problem; and calls on the Government to bring forward serious and effective measures to counter these behaviours as a matter of urgency and end this ongoing tragedy.","date":"2011-07-12","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43131","proposer":"10383","edm":"2060","session":"2010-12","title":"Southern Cross","text":"That this House notes with extreme concern that Southern Cross has announced that it will cease to operate and that trading in its shares has been suspended causing continuing worry to the residents of Southern Cross residential homes and their families; and consequently calls on the Government to intervene urgently, where necessary transferring control to local councils of any Southern Cross residential homes at risk of closure so that no resident will be forced by this crisis to move from their home.","date":"2011-07-11","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43102","proposer":"10057","edm":"2031","session":"2010-12","title":"Nhs Whistleblowing","text":"That this House welcomes the Private Eye, Shoot the Messenger articles, on how NHS whistleblowers can be silenced and sacked; anticipates effective action by the Health Select Committee and the NHS; and calls for an active central unit to which concerned clinicians can put areas and points that worry them, including details of inappropriate disciplinary action by health employers.","date":"2011-07-05","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43103","proposer":"10575","edm":"2032","session":"2010-12","title":"Hospice Care And Bma Motion","text":"That this House notes that the British Medical Association's (BMA) Annual Delegates Conference passed a five-part motion with a clear majority condemning the discredited Demos Commission on Assisted Dying and supporting the BMA's decision not to give evidence because of the strong bias of the Commission's members in favour of assisted dying; further notes the call for the BMA Ethics Committee to make the BMA's opposition to assisted suicide and euthanasia clear to the Commission on Assisted Dying which was set up by the euthanasia lobby group, Dignity in Dying, chaired by Lord Falconer and which is financed by Sir Terry Pratchett; recognises that a huge majority of doctors and nurses, particularly those involved in hospice and palliative care, are opposed to assisted dying and euthanasia, as witnessed by the strong opposition from the BMA, the Royal College of General Practitioners and other professional nursing and medical bodies; and calls on the Government to uphold measures and programmes ensuring that UK palliative and hospice services remain the finest in the world.","date":"2011-07-05","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43104","proposer":"10521","edm":"2033","session":"2010-12","title":"Future Of Cystic Fibrosis Care With The Nhs","text":"That this House recognises that effective care and treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) can only be carried out by multi-disciplinary teams, including specialist nurses, physiotherapists and dieticians; notes that patient care is being compromised because posts in these vital disciplines are being disestablished, downgraded, left vacant or used to backfill general vacancies; is concerned that these cuts by stealth are a false economy as they are likely to cost the NHS more in in-patient and acute care; and calls on the Secretary of State for Health to ensure that NHS trusts fulfil their obligations to those with CF as set out in the Standards of Care.","date":"2011-07-05","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43097","proposer":"10519","edm":"2026","session":"2010-12","title":"Organ Donation And Transplantation","text":"That this House congratulates the NHS for achieving a 26 per cent. increase in deceased organ donation in 2010-11; welcomes NHS Blood and Transplant's strategic objective to increase deceased organ donation by 60 per cent. compared to 2007-08 levels by 2013-14; regrets that three people continue to die every day while waiting for an organ transplant; notes that, in addition to improving and saving lives, increasing organ transplantation by 60 per cent. would save the NHS in excess of 500 million each year; and calls on the Government to prioritise organ donation and transplantation during the reform of the NHS to ensure a significant increase in the number of organ transplants.","date":"2011-07-04","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43057","proposer":"24775","edm":"1988","session":"2010-12","title":"Vitamin D Supplements","text":"That this House notes with concern that Government data indicate that 74.5 per cent. of the UK population consumes less than the EU recommended daily allowance of five micrograms of vitamin D andis therefore at significant risk of deficiency; further notes that the public health implications for children, the elderly, and certain other population groups including peoples of African, Caribbean and South Asian origin are substantial; and calls on the Government to set clear and appropriate levels for vitamin D supplementation in all age and population groups, to communicate the risks of deficiency and benefits of supplementation more effectively to the general public and provide clear messages on risk and benefits for use by all health partnerships.","date":"2011-06-23","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43064","proposer":"13856","edm":"1995","session":"2010-12","title":"Future Of The Nhs Blood And Transplant Service","text":"That this House calls for a review of the proposals for the future of the NHS Blood and Transplant service to ensure that it remains publicly owned and kept within the NHS so that this service remains based on free donations of blood and organs where profits are not made; recognises that the core value of the present system is based on individuals and charities giving voluntarily; and believes this should not be jeopardised with competitive tendering and outsourcing to the private sector.","date":"2011-06-23","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43042","proposer":"10611","edm":"1973","session":"2010-12","title":"Cardiac Services And Alder Hey Children's Hospital","text":"That this House notes the superb services the cardiac department at Alder Hey Children's Hospital provides to Liverpool, Merseyside and a wider catchment area of over seven million people across North West England and North Wales; welcomes the Government's decision to include Alder Hey Children's Hospital in all four options of the safe and sustainable review of congenital heart services to children; and urges the Government to ensure Alder Hey Children's Hospital, with its highly regarded cardiac unit, continues to be a centre for specialist cardiac surgical expertise.","date":"2011-06-22","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43026","proposer":"10602","edm":"1957","session":"2010-12","title":"Royal College Of Surgeons' Report On Overcoming Barriers To Innovation In Surgery","text":"That this House supports the recommendations of the Royal College of Surgeons' report Overcoming barriersto innovation in surgery; notes that on average a person will have five surgical episodes in their lifetime and that surgery is one of the most effective treatments for cancer; further notes that less than two per cent. of national funding for medical research is given to surgical projects; asks the Government and medical research charities to support the recommendations of the report, namely that providers of NHS services should be incentivised to support surgical trials, research modules should be incorporated into surgical training, and that surgeons should have protected time to carry out research and be able to offer patients the opportunity to take part in clinical trials; and calls on the Department of Health and the surgical profession to explore how to disseminate the latest information on new techniques and technologies.","date":"2011-06-21","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43012","proposer":"24729","edm":"1943","session":"2010-12","title":"Specialist Palliative Care For People With Motor Neurone Disease","text":"That this House welcomes the publication of a report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Motor Neurone Disease (MND) on specialist palliative care for people with MND; supports the MND Association's call for everyone with MND to have access to appropriate palliative and end-of-life care to achieve quality in life and dignity in death; and calls on the Government to ensure that the very best in specialist palliative and end-of-life care is available to everyone with MND, wherever they live and whatever their circumstances.","date":"2011-06-20","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"43020","proposer":"24852","edm":"1951","session":"2010-12","title":"Community Pharmacy","text":"That this House recognises the important role of community pharmacies and pharmacists in the provision of services, care and advice; acknowledges the potential for a greater role forcommunity pharmacists in providing accessible and integrated healthcare; further acknowledges their vital public health role; congratulates community pharmacists on their successes in areas such as smoking cessation; notes that community pharmacies offer accessible and reassuring sites for the provision of services and advice, and can act as a valuable social hub for vulnerable and isolated members of society; and calls on the Government to recognise the value of community pharmacies for effective health and social care and vibrant high streets.","date":"2011-06-20","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42990","proposer":"11742","edm":"1922","session":"2010-12","title":"Air Ambulance Provision And Quality Standards","text":"That this House celebrates the important work of air ambulances in the emergency treatment of patients with major trauma and in helping to ensure those who are seriously injured are treated quickly and transported to the most appropriate setting; congratulates the increasing number of air ambulances which deploy consultant and senior registrar doctors, also called Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) on board its aircraft; notes that whilst many air ambulance providers overall provide a good standard of care, the quality of care provided by individual air ambulances remains variable; further notes there are currently no clinical and\/or operational audit frameworks in place to audit the performance and cost\/benefits of air ambulance services in England; congratulates the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance Trust and the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance Trust, which operate entirely on a voluntary basis and which together are the country's busiest air ambulance service, in developing and pioneering such standards of care and innovative service to patients; and calls on the Department of Health to work closely with such innovative providers to address at the earliest opportunity the delay in the development of such clinical and operational standards, including a framework to rigorously audit the quality of air ambulance services.","date":"2011-06-15","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42986","proposer":"24857","edm":"1918","session":"2010-12","title":"Membership Of The Independent Advisory Group On Sexual Health And HIV","text":"That this House welcomes the appointment of Life UK to the Department of Health's Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV; notes it is the first group of any kind not in favour of abortion on demand to be given such a placement; further notes the Department's comment that the appointment was made to provide balance; is concerned however that all of the 10 remaining groups represented support or provide contraceptives, the morning after pill and abortions to underage children without parental knowledge or consent; further notes that 10 groups to one could not reasonably be described as providing a balance; and calls on the Government to ignore opposition to this appointment and to consider increasing the representation from other pro-life groups in order to achieve a real balance of opinion.","date":"2011-06-14","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42978","proposer":"24816","edm":"1910","session":"2010-12","title":"Congenital Heart Centre At Glenfield Hospital, Leicester","text":"That this House commends the NHS staff at the Congenital Heart Centre at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester for their skill, compassion and dedication in caring for patients and supporting parents; recognises the Centre's excellent track record of delivering high quality, safe and effective care; notes that Option A of the Government's Safe and Sustainable review of children's congenital heart surgery is the best option for ensuring the quality, accessibility and affordability of children's heart surgery not only in the East Midlands but across the country; further notes that keeping children's heart surgery in Leicester would also mean Glenfield retains it extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation service, for which it is the leading national centre; and therefore calls on the Government to support Option A and maintain the congenital heart centre at Glenfield Hospital.","date":"2011-06-13","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42935","proposer":"10602","edm":"1868","session":"2010-12","title":"George Eliot Hospital Nuneaton: Mainstreaming Alternative Therapies","text":"That this House congratulates Kevin McGee, Chief Executive, and the doctors and staff at the George Eliot NHS Trust, in particular midwife Sue Mousley, on their mainstreaming of alternative therapies; notes that over a six-year period aromatherapy has been effective in assisting with childbirth and both ante and postnatal care; further notes that it has helped clinical staff focus on the more difficult births and believes the service to be cost effective; further notes that there is a record of good patient outcomes and good patient experiences in the hospital and it is greatly appreciated by the residents of Nuneaton, North Warwickshire, West and South Leicestershire; and calls on the Government to look at this as a model of good practice for other hospitals across England.","date":"2011-06-07","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42936","proposer":"10074","edm":"1869","session":"2010-12","title":"Rnid Name Change To Action On Hearing Loss","text":"That this House congratulates RNID on reaching its centenary and welcomes its change of name to Action on Hearing Loss; notes the findings in its major centenary report, Hearing Matters, that there are now 10 million people in the UK with a hearing loss, equating to one in six of the UK population, four million of whom could benefit from a hearing aid but do not have one; urges anyone who thinks that they may have a hearing loss to check their hearing, either by using the Action on Hearing Loss online and telephone hearing checks or by visiting their general practitioner; and calls on the Government to acknowledge hearing loss as a major health issue, and to work in partnership with the hearing loss sector to ensure that people can easily take action on hearing loss.","date":"2011-06-07","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42905","proposer":"24852","edm":"1839","session":"2010-12","title":"Future Of Health Surveys","text":"That this House notes with concern the withdrawal of some 50,000 of funding by the Department of Health for the health element of the annual British Social Attitudes Survey, as reported in the British Medical Journal on 29 March 2011; recognises the British Social Attitudes Survey, conducted by the National Centre for Social Research, as a valuable snapshot of the public's attitudes and an important resource for information relating to policy across a range of social issues dating back to 1983 and covering a large polling sample; understands that the future of funding for the health specific element of the General Lifestyle Survey, carried out by the Office for National Statistics, is the subject of discussions between the Department of Health and the Health and Social Care Information Centre; further notes that this survey has been running almost continuously since 1971; agrees with the Chairman of the UK Statistics Authority that the planned changes to the NHS make it particularly important to continue to collect statistics over time in order to gain a rational view of the impact of such changes; and calls on the Government to acknowledge the importance of the data collected in the British Social Attitudes Survey, the General Lifestyle Survey and the Ipsos MORIPublic Perceptionsof the NHS and Social Care Survey by continuing to fund the collection and dissemination of these authoritative insights into public practices, perceptions andpriorities.","date":"2011-05-23","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42913","proposer":"10069","edm":"1847","session":"2010-12","title":"Children's Heart Unit At The Freeman Hospital, Newcastle","text":"That this House commends the surgeons and staff at the Children's Heart Unit at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle for their skill and dedication in caring for their patients; notes the Unit's excellent track record of offering the complete spectrum of services, with a particular strength in quality and outcomes; further notes the technical advantages and value for money provided by the link-up with the adult cardiac unit at the hospital; further notes the hospital's strong continuing working relationship with Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland; further notes the Freeman's history as the site of the UK's first successful infant heart transplant, and the benefits of the Freeman's dedicated Institute of Transplantation; and calls on the Government to keep the Unit open and to invest in its future.","date":"2011-05-23","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42917","proposer":"24892","edm":"1820A1","session":"2010-12","title":"Homeopathy Research Institute Campaign","text":"leave out from `House' to end and add `notes that organisations such as the Homeopathy Research Institute are free to conduct their own scientific studies, if in accordance with ethical frameworks, but that they should be performed rigorously and avoid poor statistics, confirmation bias and other flaws that have plagued some studies; agrees with the conclusions of the Science and Technology Select Committee's Fourth Report of Session 2009-10, Evidence Check 2: Homeopathy, HC 45, that putting patients through pointless further clinical trials, and the spending of scarce public sector funds on research into homeopathy cannot be justified; observes that the Faculty of Homeopathy Act 1950 does not state that \"the public has access to homeopathy under the NHS so long as patients demand it and doctors are trained to provide it\", but highlights that documents from the Faculty must specifically carry a disclaimer that they do not provide a legal qualification to practice homeopathy and is not sanctioned by Government; further notes that millions of pounds each year of NHS resources are spent on homeopathic treatments that have no evidence of clinical effect; and accepts that people are entitled to spend their own money as they see fit, but calls on the Government to stop funding homeopathic treatments and hospitals using public funds.'.","date":"2011-05-23","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42897","proposer":"10428","edm":"1831","session":"2010-12","title":"Nice Review Of Cancer Drugs For The Treatment Of Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia","text":"That this House is alarmed that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) announced in its recent Appraisal Consultation document reviewing the use of the drugs Dasatinib, Nilotinib and high dose Imatinib for patients suffering from resistant chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) that NICE had decided not to recommend NHS prescription of these life-saving cancer drugs for the treatment of this condition; is aware that currently more than 700 people in the UK discoverannuallythey have CML, and that currently more than 3,000 people are living with it; notes recent clinical evidence has established that patients benefiting from these drugs who show continued positive response from their use are likely to establish a normal average life expectancy the same as that experienced by most of the nation's population; and calls on the Government to act immediately to ensure chronic leukaemia sufferers acquire these drugs to deal with their health condition.","date":"2011-05-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42898","proposer":"10467","edm":"1832","session":"2010-12","title":"Proposals For The Future Of Nhs Blood And Transplant Service","text":"That this House is opposed to the Government's proposals that parts of the National Health Service Blood and Transplant Service be subject to competitive tendering and outsourcing to the private sector; notes that this would fundamentally change the relationship between the service and its donors and would also undermine and jeopardise the unique core value of blood and organ donation in the UK that is based on individuals and charities giving voluntarily; and recognises the long-standing national consensus that people give blood and organs to save lives, not to contribute to third parties' profits.","date":"2011-05-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42899","proposer":"10159","edm":"1833","session":"2010-12","title":"Speech And Language Assessments For Prison Inmates","text":"That this House recognises the importance of the identification and treatment of speech and language difficulties amongst prison inmates in the bid to reduce prisoner re-offending; and calls on the Government to introduce universal speech and language assessments and support in all prisons.","date":"2011-05-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42885","proposer":"10203","edm":"1819","session":"2010-12","title":"Medical Devices","text":"That this House thanks Channel Four Dispatches and the British Medical Journal for revealing that defective UK regulations in the use of medical devices are exposing patients to suffering serious injury or worse; is concerned to learn that Suzanne Ludgate of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency says she was appalled at how many devices are brought to market with a lack of appropriate clinical data; notes that recalls of devices are rising but manufacturers are not willing to publish information on device failures; and calls for a review that will ensure that UK patients have guarantees on the safety and efficacy of devices equivalent to that of patients in the US.","date":"2011-05-17","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42887","proposer":"10057","edm":"1821","session":"2010-12","title":"Nhs Locum Surgeons","text":"That this House supports the Royal College of Surgeons' guidance on NHS Locum Surgeons; notes that this guidance outlines the vital role that these surgeons play in the short term; further notes that it is important for employers in the health service to employ surgeons who are suitably qualified for the position they are filling; considers that employers must not use locum appointments as long-term solutions to staffing problems; further considers that employers must ensure that locum surgeons are able to fulfil their revalidation requirements; and believes that these factors are crucial in ensuring that patients can be assured of receiving the same quality of care whether they are being treated by a locum surgeon or a surgeon who is a permanent member of staff.","date":"2011-05-17","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42875","proposer":"11607","edm":"1811","session":"2010-12","title":"Review Of The Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive","text":"That this House notes that theimplementation of the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive on 30 April 2011 risks orphaning hundreds of safe and popular herbal remedies whose manufacturers are unable to meet the cost of compliance with the new legislation; observes with concern the substantial impact this will have on many small specialist manufacturers and specialist retailers as well as on consumer choice; appreciates that it is now too late in the day to avoid the introduction of this measure in accordance with our obligations to the European Union; but calls on the Government to work closely with the National Association of Health Stores, Consumers for Health Choice and organisations representing specialist manufacturers to monitor the impact of this legislation and to commit to a review after 12 months on the effects it has had on the range of products on the market.","date":"2011-05-16","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42877","proposer":"10292","edm":"1813","session":"2010-12","title":"National Refractory Angina Centre","text":"That this House pays tribute to the work carried out by the National Refractory Angina Centre (NRAC) headed by Professor Mike Chester, which has received national and international acclaim for its pioneering work; notes the contribution made by the NRAC Patients' Support Group, which has hundreds of members; expresses grave concern that Professor Chester's reputation has unfairly been targeted by means of false allegations and flawed disciplinary procedures; further notes that the Patients' Support Group, which fully supports Professor Chester, having tried unsuccessfully to resolve the current difficulties with the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen Hospitals Trust, has been victimised and has been inappropriately pressured to make false formal complaints against Professor Chester by senior Trust staff, in several cases by means of threats as regards future treatment; and further notes that the Patients' Support Group has succeeded in initiating a General Medical Council investigation into what has occurred and, pending that investigation, calls on the Government to instruct the hospital authorities to desist from applying inappropriate pressure on the Patients' Support Group and individual patients.","date":"2011-05-16","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42865","proposer":"11707","edm":"1802","session":"2010-12","title":"Gp Training In Migraine And Headache Conditions (No. 2)","text":"That this House expressesits concern that the onset of migraine and headache results in 25,000,000 missed school and work days per year at an estimated cost to the economy of 2.5 billion; and calls on the Government to increase and sustain support for GP training to combat this medical condition and thereby avoid this unnecessary cost to the economy.","date":"2011-05-12","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42851","proposer":"10120","edm":"1790","session":"2010-12","title":"Spinal Injuries Awareness Day","text":"That this House joins Aspire, Back Up, the Spinal Injuries Association, Spinal Injuries Scotland and Spinal Research, who meet as a consortium Spinal Injuries Together (SIT), in celebrating Spinal Injuries Awareness Day on 20 May 2011; notes that there are 40,000 people withspinal cord injury in the UK; and recognises the work, services and research provided by organisations within SIT that are available to people with spinal cord injury, their relatives, carers and associated professionals all designed to benefit the lives of people living with spinal cord injury in the UK.","date":"2011-05-10","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42827","proposer":"10032","edm":"1767","session":"2010-12","title":"Coeliac Awareness Week 2011","text":"That this House recognises that people withcoeliac disease have an autoimmune disease for which the only treatment is a lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet; acknowledges that for many of those diagnosed, eating out is a continuous challenge which affects their lives every day; urges those in the hospitality industry to embrace the need for more choice and to improve the availability of gluten-free food; and commends and supports Coeliac UK for its Gluten-free Challenge campaign which aims to make eating out possible for all people with coeliac disease, to significantly improve their quality of life and create understanding of their condition.","date":"2011-04-28","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42817","proposer":"11707","edm":"1760","session":"2010-12","title":"Muscular Dystrophy Campaign Report On Cost Benefit Of Developing Services","text":"That this House welcomes the publication of a report by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign on the cost-benefit analysis of developing specialised neuromuscular services to prevent unplanned emergency admissions to hospital for people with neuromuscular conditions; acknowledges that specialist, multi-disciplinary services have been established by clinicians as the most effective way of delivering effective care for patients with complex neuromuscular conditions; notes that the development of specialist services could result in savings of approximately 25 million in England alone; further notes the vital role of wheelchair provision, specialist physiotherapy, specialist neuromuscular care advisers and access to specialist respiratory care in preventing unplanned emergency admissions; commends the campaign led by regional Muscle Groups, which contininue to work together to fight for fair access to clinically effective, specialised neuromuscular services across the UK; and calls on the Government to publicly announce a neuromuscular service strategy as a matter of urgency.","date":"2011-04-27","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42796","proposer":"10240","edm":"1740","session":"2010-12","title":"Ms Register","text":"That this House recognises the MS Society's Register and its potential to support a comprehensive package of activities, including the commissioning of MS services, health and social care research and measurement of clinical outcomes; notes that theMS Register represents a world first in joint collection of patient, clinician and routine NHS data; and supports the MS Society's work to set up the MS Register inLondon, Swansea, Edinburgh, Belfast and Nottingham, the five pilot sites across the UK.","date":"2011-04-26","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42779","proposer":"10258","edm":"1723","session":"2010-12","title":"Queen Alexandra Hospital G5 Ward","text":"That this House welcomes the campaign by `Keep G5 Ward', the Portsmouth News and Portsmouth Pensioners to re-open the G5 Ward at Queen Alexandra Hospital; notes that over 10,000 people have signed a petition urging that it is kept open; recognises the great value of the ward for the people of Portsmouth and South Hampshire; further notes with concern that Portsmouth's Health Overview and Scrutiny Panel has stated that closure of the G5 Ward represents a substantial change that has not been properly consulted on by the hospital management; and requests that the Secretary of State considers carefully the report of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel, to which he referred the closure, that the proper consultation is now conducted and that the G5 Ward remains open during this consultation period and in the long term.","date":"2011-04-05","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42762","proposer":"10428","edm":"1707","session":"2010-12","title":"Patients And Public Investment: Local Gps Consortia","text":"That this House is deeply concerned that the proposed Government Health and Social Care Bill offers little direction to either the National Commissioning Board or commissioning consortia to involve patients or their representative groups in local and national health decision-making processes, such bodies merely being obliged only to obtain advice from expert professionals, thereby denying in particular NHS users any meaningful role in the governance of their GP consortia; and calls on the Government to revisit this matter to ensure that meaningful patient and public involvement is embodied in the heart of such proposals.","date":"2011-04-04","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42757","proposer":"10197","edm":"1702","session":"2010-12","title":"Free Emergency Contraception","text":"That this House welcomes the decision of the Welsh Assembly Government to make the morning-after pill available free from pharmacies across Wales; and calls on the Westminster Government to do likewise for England.","date":"2011-04-01","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42692","proposer":"24892","edm":"1641","session":"2010-12","title":"Mitochondrial Disease And Pronuclear Transfer","text":"That this House notes the consultation by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) about scientific methods to avoid the transmission of mitochondrial diseases; recognises that there is currently no cure for these devastating conditions affecting more than 6,000 people across the UK; welcomes research led by Professor Doug Turnbull and funded by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign that shows pronuclear transfer has the potential to develop into an effective method to prevent mitochondrial diseases being passed from mother to child; calls on the HFEA to consult people living with the condition; and strongly urges the Department of Health to introduce regulations which would allow clinical studies to test the potential benefits and risks of pronuclear transfer in humans to be carried out in the UK.","date":"2011-03-22","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42681","proposer":"10088","edm":"1630","session":"2010-12","title":"Awareness Of Lymphatic Cancer","text":"That this House notes that lymphoma is now the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK with over 12,500 new cases a year and over 75,000 people living with the disease; commends the work of the Lymphoma Association as a charity specialising in providing information and support to those affected by lymphatic cancer; congratulates the Association on its 25th anniversary; and urges the Department of Health to pursue all possible avenues to raise awareness of the disease among both GPs and the public.","date":"2011-03-21","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42686","proposer":"11923","edm":"1635","session":"2010-12","title":"Night Sisters At Westmorland General Hospital","text":"That this House objects to plans to remove the night sisters from Westmorland General Hospital; notes that night sisters provide essential clinical leadership at the hospital during the night and ensure that there is an advanced life support-qualified leader to thecrash team to enable an emergency response to any patient who suffers a coronary emergency; believes that this move is contrary to undertakings made by the University Teaching Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Trust in 2008 with regard to the provision of an adequatecrash team, and that removal of thenight sisters would place patients in danger while undermining the hospital's wider service; and calls on the Trust to cancel forthwithplans to remove the night sisters from Westmorland General Hospital.","date":"2011-03-21","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42622","proposer":"10614","edm":"1575","session":"2010-12","title":"Diabetes Misdiagnosis","text":"That this House notes with concern that an estimated100,000 people have been misdiagnosed diabetes or wrongly told which form of the disease they have; further notes that these mistakes have been made because of a lack of understanding of the condition by doctors and health professionals; recognises the impact of information and advice on preventing Type 2 diabetes alongside improving lifestyle factors; and calls on the Government to invest in a national framework and guidelines to steer GPs, to ensure quality of service and to avoid further misdiagnosis.","date":"2011-03-10","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42605","proposer":"11607","edm":"1559","session":"2010-12","title":"Ovarian Cancer Survival Rates","text":"That this House welcomes the news that ovarian cancer survival has doubled over the last 30 years; notes that the five-year survival for women with early stages of the disease has increased from 21 per cent. in the early 1970s to 41 per cent. today; recognises that these figures mean over 1,000 more women a year in England and Wales are now surviving this cancer for at least five years; praises the work of people in the health service who have helped bring about these improved figures; further recognises there is still a lot of work to do to tackle issues like late diagnosis; welcomes the fact that Cancer Research UK is helping to fund a trial of ovarian cancer screening; further praises the work of Cancer Research UK in their commitment to finding new ways to treat and detect the disease; calls for more investment to help treat and detect the disease; and further calls on a nationwide screening programme to be introduced as soon as possible to help spot potential tumours much earlier.","date":"2011-03-09","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42581","proposer":"24797","edm":"1548","session":"2010-12","title":"World Kidney Day 2011","text":"That this House welcomes World Kidney Day 2011, which seeks to improve the awareness, detection and treatment of kidney disease, including the link between kidney disease and hypertension; is concerned that over three million people face chronic kidney disease in the UK today and that this number is expected to rise over the next 10 years; is alarmed that an estimated 13,000 people are killed by the disease annually in this country; notes that high blood pressure may result in both kidney damage and an increased risk of stroke and other cardiovascular disease; further notes the importance of treating chronic kidney disease in order to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease and the value of screening people with cardiovascular disease for kidney disease; welcomes the imminent publication by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence of the Quality Standards on Chronic Kidney Disease; and urges the Government to encourage and measure the uptake of these standards by all healthcare professionals.","date":"2011-03-08","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42585","proposer":"10222","edm":"1552","session":"2010-12","title":"World Tuberculosis Day 24 March 2011","text":"That this House is concerned at the continuing rise in the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB), both globally and in the UK; notes that TB is the cause of nearly 5,000 deaths per day and thatit is the leading cause of death of HIV-infected people in the developing world; recognises that the epidemic of TB drug resistance is being further inflamed by poor care management and drug use and that research into desperately needed new diagnostic tools, drugs and vaccines is severely under-resourced; and calls on the Government to mark World Tuberculosis Day on 24 March 2011 by committing the UK to seek maximum multi- and bilateral aid effectiveness in efforts to combat this preventable and curable disease.","date":"2011-03-08","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42594","proposer":"24872","edm":"1543","session":"2010-12","title":"Stoma Care Specialists","text":"The this House acknowledges the valuable work of stoma care nurses in providing high quality care, advice and treatment to patients in healthcare settings and the community; observes that there are more than 100,000 people in the UK with a stoma and that specialist nursing support helps these patients lead full, independent lives; recognises the major benefits of stoma care services through improved health outcomes and the prevention of hospital readmissions; congratulates the World Council of Enterostomal Therapists UK on its work to raise awareness of the important contribution of stoma care nurses; and calls on the Government to ensure that NHS specialist stoma care services are maintained.","date":"2011-03-07","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42577","proposer":"24848","edm":"1535","session":"2010-12","title":"Nhs Reforms","text":"That this House notes the current proposals to reform the NHS in England; believes that potentially positive elements of the NHS reforms - giving clinicians responsibility for commissioning and shaping local health services, increasing public and patient involvement, and focusing more on public health - are threatened by other aspects, particularly those seeking to force and increase competition; further believes that clinicians who are responsible for commissioning should be free to work collaboratively with hospital and community care colleagues and patients to develop the care pathways that, in their clinical judgement, provide the best care for their patients, without fear of challenge;considers that the reforms should ensure proper accountability to prevent unacceptable local variation and the maintenance of a national approach to key issues such as education, training and workforce; and calls on the Government to ensure flexibility in the pace of implementation of the reforms.","date":"2011-03-04","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42575","proposer":"24812","edm":"1533","session":"2010-12","title":"Free Prescriptions In Scotland","text":"That this House welcomes the passage of legislation which will result in prescriptions for all patients in Scotland being free from 1 April 2011; notes that the Scottish government has gradually reduced the cost of prescriptions since 2007 and in doing so has helped large numbers of patients, particularly those with long-term conditions and who require a number of prescription items; believes that abolition of these charges recognises the fact that during these difficult economic times, no person should see cost as a barrier to access toprescription medication; and welcomes this move towards restoring the NHS to its founding principles: healthcare that's free at the point of delivery and based on clinical need, not the ability to pay.","date":"2011-03-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42501","proposer":"11707","edm":"1469","session":"2010-12","title":"Gp Training In Migraine And Headache Conditions","text":"That this House expresses its concern that the onset of migraine and headache results in one million missed school and work days per year at an estimated cost to the economy of 2.5 billion per year; and calls on the Government to increase and sustain support for GP training to combat this medical condition and thereby avoid this unnecessary cost to the economy.","date":"2011-02-17","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42505","proposer":"24910","edm":"1473","session":"2010-12","title":"Gp Consortia And Representation Of Local Independent Pharmacies","text":"That this House notes that the Health and Social Care Bill does not contain any provisions to ensure that GP consortia have to include a representative of local independent pharmacies; and calls on the Government to bring forward proposals to include such a provision on the face of the Bill.","date":"2011-02-17","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42489","proposer":"10669","edm":"1459","session":"2010-12","title":"Leeds Children's Heart Surgery Unit","text":"That this House commends the surgeons and staff at the Children's Heart Surgery Unit at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) for their skill and dedication in caring for their patients; notes that the LGI is at the forefront of work on inherited cardiac conditions; recognises that the Unit serves a population of 5.2 million people in Yorkshire and Humber andLincolnshire and North Derbyshire regions, which is one of the highest population catchment areas of all children's heart surgery units in England; is concerned that, if it is closed following the Safe and Sustainable review, nearly 300 families and their sick children whom the Unit currently helps each year would face the significant distress and cost of having to travel to other facilities at an already difficult time in their family life; further notes that the Leeds Unit has the capacity to expand and is centrally located in the North to serve patients from outside the current catchment area; and calls on the Government to keep the Unit open and to invest in its future.","date":"2011-02-15","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42479","proposer":"11174","edm":"1450","session":"2010-12","title":"Chronic Pain Services","text":"That this House welcomes the Patients Association's report, Public Attitudes to Pain; applauds its efforts to bring the issue of chronic pain to the attention of parliamentarians, employers and healthcare professionals; strongly urges that there be established a clear care pathway on chronic pain; welcomes the report's call to ensure patients have access to robust information on pain; further welcomes the report's call for chronic pain to be recognised as a disease in its own right; urges that there be further training for healthcare professionals on the subject of chronic pain; and supports the Patients Association's work to improve access to informationfor patients.","date":"2011-02-11","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42431","proposer":"11672","edm":"1406","session":"2010-12","title":"Future Of The Leeds Crisis Centre","text":"That this House recognises the unique service provided by Leeds Crisis Centre for people at times of acute personal crisis, and acknowledges the widespread local and national support from the service users, staff, GPs and other health professionals, and the actor Stephen Fry; notes that Leeds City Council Adult Social Care has proposed the immediate closure of the service; understands that, inthe current economic situation, Leeds City Council is having to make reductions in spending; observes that the report produced by Leeds City Council officers is flawed, notably because it wrongly states that services are duplicated by other providers; further observes that no consultation was undertaken with the centre staff and service users, and no formal approach made to the primary care trust (PCT), GPs and mental health practitioners to discuss the impact of this decision on their work, or alternative models of provision; is concerned that the proposed closure is as a result of an artificial social care divide leaving the crisis centre solely council funded and would like to see a dialogue between the PCT and the Council to resolve this issue; considers that a full audit and examination of cost-saving measures must be undertaken prior to any final decision; and calls on Leeds City Council Executive Board to postpone making a decision forsix months and to undertake a full impact and risk assessment to consider the effect of any decision across communities in Leeds and to ensure a service like this is accessible across the city in the long term.","date":"2011-02-07","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42425","proposer":"24889","edm":"1400","session":"2010-12","title":"No Smoking Day 2011","text":"That this House congratulates the No Smoking Day charity on its 28th annual public health campaign, which will take place on 9 March 2011; notes that almost one million smokers made a quit attempt on No Smoking Day last year; further notes that despite recent tobacco control legislation smoking remains the number one cause of premature avoidable death in the UK; and further notes the need for continued support of No Smoking Day.","date":"2011-02-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42426","proposer":"24896","edm":"1401","session":"2010-12","title":"Family Action's Against All Odds On Mental Health","text":"That this House notes the launch of Family Action's Against All Odds campaign to improve the life chances of children of adults with mental health difficulties; further notes that where such adults do not receive appropriate support their children are at risk of poor development, abuse, poverty and developing their own mental health difficulties in later life; further notes that where Family Action, and similar services intervene to provide family-focussed support to adults with mental health difficulties and their children their outcomes improve; urges commissioners to protect and expand the provision of such services wherever possible; and calls on the Government to ensure the availability of holistic services, and more adequate welfare support to all adults with mental health difficulties so as to meet the goals of the forthcoming child poverty strategy and the new Work Programme.","date":"2011-02-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42417","proposer":"10143","edm":"1392","session":"2010-12","title":"Leyton Green Clinic","text":"That this House notes with deep concern that Leyton Green Clinic in Leyton, East London, faces possible closure; further notes that the clinic serves one of the poorest areas in London including many patients who are isolated and vulnerable and who often do not speak English; and calls for the clinic to remain open.","date":"2011-02-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42406","proposer":"10428","edm":"1381","session":"2010-12","title":"Private Companies And The Nhs","text":"That this House is aware that among those bidding to take over the organisation and purchasing of local NHS care services in the UK are a number of large, foreign private companies that have records of maximising their profits at the expense of patient care; and believes the encouragement of such firms to take over the running of UK health services to be both short-sighted and wrong as, if allowed, their pursuit of profit will hugely increase NHS costs, as has already been experienced via the provision of private health care within the service and the building of new NHS hospitals, and worse still would cause care standards to fall as their business practices avoid patients costs, especially those with complex health needs.","date":"2011-02-01","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42371","proposer":"24805","edm":"1352","session":"2010-12","title":"Statutory Regulation Of Clinical Physiologists","text":"That this House welcomes the valuable contribution that clinical physiologists make to patient care in the NHS;notes their importance in developing and delivering a wide range of sensitive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures directly to patients in the disciplines of audiology, cardiology, gastro intestinal physiology, neurophysiology and respiratory physiology; further notes with concern that despite the Health Professions Council's recommendation in 2004 that clinical physiologists should be statutorily regulated and this advice being accepted by the Department of Health in 2005, statutory regulation has not yet been put in place; recognises the value of the current voluntary register which has been compiled and administered by the Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists; understands the Government's direction of travel that voluntary regulation is the preferred way forward for most new healthcare professions, but believes that because of the potentially highly invasive nature of clinical physiologists' activities, voluntary registration does not provide patients with enough protection against those who are unfit to practice; regrets that some of the delay appears to have been caused by the Department's otherwise worthwhile plans to better integrate the wider healthcare science workforce through Modernising Scientific Careers; and calls on the Government to publish a clear timetable for a draft section 60 Order which will take forward statutory regulation as soon as possible to minimise the ongoing risks to patient safety.","date":"2011-01-26","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42373","proposer":"24784","edm":"1354","session":"2010-12","title":"Food Supplements Directive (No. 2)","text":"That this House congratulates Consumers for Health Choice on its sustained campaign over many years to defend Harlow consumers and consumers across the UK's access to safe and popular higher potency vitamin and mineral food supplements; understands that the European Commission may in 2011 take forward the process of setting maximum permitted levels for nutrients in supplements under the provisions of Article 5 of the Food Supplements Directive; observes that a restrictive interpretation of this legislation could threaten the continued availability of a wide range of safe dietary supplements, lead to the closure of 700 independent health food retailers and the loss of 4,000 UK jobs; encourages Ministers to do all they can to defend safe and legal products currently on the UK market by engaging robustly with commissioners and officials of the EU and by building alliances with other member state governments; reinforces its implacable opposition to the setting of unnecessary restrictive maximum permitted levels for nutrients in such supplements; and reaffirmsits view that the rights of consumers to access safe products of their choice should not be sacrificed on the alter of market harmonisation.","date":"2011-01-26","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42348","proposer":"10074","edm":"1329","session":"2010-12","title":"Save The Children's No Child Born To Die Campaign","text":"That this House notes with concern the analysis in Save the Children's No Child Born to Die campaign that eight million children a year die before their fifth birthday, mainly in the poorest countries and largely due to easily preventable causes such as pneumonia, malaria, diarrhoea and complications after birth which rarely lead to child mortality in rich countries; believes that every child should receive healthcare, irrespective of the conditions into which they are born, and that this requires a focus on extending immunisation and the training of healthworkers; and calls on the Government as a leader on global health, a commendable supporter of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations (GAVI), and host of June's 2011 GAVI summit, to galvanise other donor countries to put immunisation in poor countries on a sustainable financial footing, and ensure that life-saving vaccinations reach the world's poorest and most vulnerable children as part of a global effort to save 15 million children's lives by 2015.","date":"2011-01-24","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42331","proposer":"24784","edm":"1312","session":"2010-12","title":"Proposal For A Fuel Allowance For Nhs Employees","text":"That this House expresses concern that NHS employees often cover a significant amount of the costs involved in travelling to carry out their daily duties, due to huge local variations in the expenses regime inherited from the previous Government; notes that employees in mental health services are particularly vulnerable due to a high level of travel in their profession; further notes that rising fuel costs have increased the burden on all staff who regularly travel; and urges the Government to review the current rates of reimbursement and to support the exemplary service NHS staff provide nationally.","date":"2011-01-19","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42312","proposer":"10122","edm":"1293","session":"2010-12","title":"Death Of Lana Ameen","text":"That this House deeply regrets the tragic death from swine influenza of Lana Ameen, aged three years; extends its deepest sympathies to her family; notes that Lana was not in one of the at risk groups whichwould have indicated a requirement for vaccination against swine influenza; and calls on the Secretary of State for Health to review all the available medical expert advice on vaccination to ensure that in the future there are no more tragic deaths.","date":"2011-01-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42314","proposer":"10715","edm":"1295","session":"2010-12","title":"Beating Bowel Cancer's 1, 2, 3, Campaign","text":"That this House isconcerned that half of the 38,600 people diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in the UK will die from the condition but that bowel cancer is curable if detected early enough; welcomes the Government's announcements on bowel cancer, including the introduction of flexible sigmoidoscopy screening and local campaigns in England to improve public awareness of the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer; further welcomes the contribution made by the previous Government to improving earlier diagnosis but highlights the need for wider participation in bowel cancer screening to improve outcomes; and supports Beating Bowel Cancer's 1,2,3 campaign that seeks to increase the number of people taking part in the bowel cancer screening programme, which could save up to 1,279 lives every year in England.","date":"2011-01-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42315","proposer":"10715","edm":"1296","session":"2010-12","title":"Reducing Avoidable Sight Loss","text":"That this House notes with concern that over two million people in the UK are at risk of needlessly losing their sight through treatable eye conditions; further notes that 100 people every day start to lose their sight, half of which could have been prevented through regular sight tests and early treatment; further notes that this important public health message must be taken seriously by national and local government, commissioners, health and social care professionals and the public; and urges the Government to ensure that reducing avoidable sight loss is an indicator in the public health outcome framework.","date":"2011-01-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42318","proposer":"24715","edm":"1299","session":"2010-12","title":"Vitamin B12 Deficiency","text":"That this House welcomes the benefits of vitamin B12 therapy; believes that greater emphasis must be placed on recognising and treating B12 deficiency which can be a major cause of ill health and unemployment; recognises that the replacement of the missing nutrient can restore quality of life, enthusiasm and energy to the individual; notes that many of the drugs used to treat misdiagnosis are expensive and can have lasting adverse effects; and calls on the health community to recognise and research vitamin B12 deficiency to ensure the needs and symptom patterns of patients can be treated in a way that is cost-effective, without side-effects and completely safe.","date":"2011-01-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42307","proposer":"10027","edm":"1290","session":"2010-12","title":"Future Of The Human Fertilisation And Embryology Authority","text":"That this House considers the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to be a vital and irreplaceable body of national and international importance and reputation; believes that its expertise, developed over many years of licensing and regulating assisted reproductive therapy clinics and ensuring treatment is safe, is a priceless resource which must be retained and sustained for the future; notes that its funding is derived mostly from fees and that costs would inevitably increase if its functions were to be split; further notes too that its contribution to public safety and its rigorous protection of confidentiality enjoy a high level of public confidence which could be put at risk if the HFEA is dismantled; applauds the passionate defence of the HFEA by its chair, Lisa Jardine, and recognises the widespread support for its work across the scientific and medical communities; and calls on the Government to abandon plans to abolish the HFEA.","date":"2011-01-17","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42233","proposer":"10219","edm":"1220","session":"2010-12","title":"Loss Of Medical Records Of Deceased Persons","text":"That this House notes that according to the Minister of Health, NHS organisations have a legal responsibility under the Data Protection Act to retain records safely and for a prescribed period; but that according to the Ministry of Justice, the Data Protection Act does not cover the processing and storage of data relating to deceased persons; that the Barts and London NHS Trust lost medical records of Dr Sugie Davie soon after her death on 22 December 2007 following stem cell treatment and blood transfusions; that the death was described as `baffling and unexpected'; and that despite extensive searches by the Trust since then the records have not come to light; deplores the repeated refusal of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to investigate the complaint of Paul Davie, constituent of the hon. Member for Ilford South; and calls for a review of the relevant legislation to cover the records of deceased persons.","date":"2010-12-20","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42229","proposer":"10057","edm":"1216","session":"2010-12","title":"Human Papilloma Virus Infection And Genital Warts","text":"That this House notes that diagnoses of genital warts in young people have continued to rise, with 66 per cent. of all newgenital warts diagnoses in women being in those under 25; supports the call by FPA, Brook, Terrence Higgins Trust, the Royal Societyfor Public Health, Medical Foundation for AIDS and Sexual Health and the British Association for Sexual Healthand HIV for the introduction of a quadrivalent Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine which protects against cervical cancer and against genital warts and will contribute to improving public health; urges the Government to reduce the currentinequalities which exist to ensure that it is not only those who have the knowledge and financial resources who are able to assess the quadrivalent HPV vaccine and benefit from the protection it offers; and urges the Government to take the opportunity to preventboth cervical cancer and genital warts.","date":"2010-12-16","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42212","proposer":"11607","edm":"1200","session":"2010-12","title":"The Year Of Rheumatoid Arthritis: One Year On","text":"That this House welcomes the publication of The Year of Rheumatoid Arthritis: One Year On, by the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society and the British Society for Rheumatology which assessesthe progress made over the last year in improving the quality and standard of care for people with rheumatoid arthritis; welcomes the four recommendations which seek to improve and optimise best practice and to ensure consistency in service provision and patient care and notes the report's findings to improve care for people with rheumatoid arthritis; recognises people with rheumatoid arthritis who lack sufficient information and support to help them manage their condition can experience hopelessness, despair and depression; and calls on the Government to recognise the importance of early referral and greater awareness amongst general practitioners, safeguard the involvement of patients in the redesign of services and retain the specialist skills of the multi-disciplinary team and specialist nurses in particular.","date":"2010-12-14","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42179","proposer":"10527","edm":"1167","session":"2010-12","title":"Insulin Pump Provision","text":"That this House welcomes the Medical Technology Group's Pump Action campaign to improve access to insulin pump therapy for everyone with type 1 diabetes in the UK who would benefit; notes the findings of a Freedom of Information survey of primary care trusts in which the average rate of pump provision for people with type 1 diabetes is shown to be 3.9 per cent. compared to the 12 per cent. benchmark recommended by theNational Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence; is concerned that potentially tens of thousands of eligible patients are missing out on pump therapy as an alternative to multiple daily injections; acknowledges that pump therapy improves patient outcomes through better management of blood glucose levels, and a reduced risk of complications while bringing short and long-term economic benefits to the NHS by reducing both planned and emergency hospital admissions; and calls on the Government to work with the Medical Technology Group and other stakeholders to implement the recommendations contained within Pump Action, and ensure that local commissioners, provider trusts and emerging general practitioner consortia utilise the NHS Technology Adoption Centre's How to Why to Guide on insulin pumps to ensure that all eligible patients can access insulin pumps as soon as possible.","date":"2010-12-09","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42157","proposer":"24891","edm":"1149","session":"2010-12","title":"Surgeons' Working Hours","text":"That this House supports the Royal College of Surgeons' (RCS) campaign to remove the constraints on surgeons' working hours imposed by the European Working Time Directive; notes findings from a recent RCS survey of its members that 80 per cent. of consultant surgeons and 66 per cent. of surgical trainees believe that patient care has deteriorated under the directive; further notes that with current staffing levels it is impossible to maintain good service delivery, therefore endangering patient safety; believes that the new arrangements around working hours have led to an increase in handovers with doctors unable to follow their patients throughout surgical treatment and that the shift system for 48 hours is significantly more tiring than the on-call system it replaced and leaves little time for training; further notes that the directive has led to an increase in hospital locum doctors with costs rising from 38 million in 2007-08 to 758 million in 2009-10; believes that since the introduction of the directive the NHS has lost more than 400,000 hours of surgical time a month; and strongly welcomes the pledge from the Government to limit the application of the directive, enabling surgeons in the UK to work a flexible working week of up to 65 hours, with appropriate rest breaks, so that hospitals are safely staffed to provide high quality care and continuity of care for all patients.","date":"2010-12-07","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42158","proposer":"24852","edm":"1150","session":"2010-12","title":"Measurement And Publication Of Healthcare Outcomes","text":"That this House welcomes recent reports demonstrating that improvements in patient care and efficiency within the NHS can be achieved through the detailed collection and publication of healthcare outcomes; acknowledges the recent Dr Foster survey of the NHS and its commendation of transparency as an important aspect of monitoring and evaluation; notes that the Royal College of Surgeons and experts across Europe have directly attributed the excellent performance of NHS cardiac surgeons in a recent Europe-wide audit to the collection and publication of detailed data on surgery death rates and other outcomes; congratulates NHS heart surgeons and their teams for these very good results; further notes that cardiac surgery is ahead of many other specialties in terms of the recording and dissemination of detailed data; and calls on the Government to encourage diligent and transparent data collection across all NHS disciplines.","date":"2010-12-07","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42144","proposer":"24803","edm":"1136","session":"2010-12","title":"Award Of Nobel Prize For Medicine And The Development Of Ivf","text":"That this House congratulates Professor Robert G. Edwards, ahead of the award ceremony on 10 December 2010, on receiving the Nobel Prize for Medicine for 2010 for the development of human in-vitro fertilization (IVF) therapy, and for his achievements in making it possible to treat infertility, which affects more than 10 per cent. of all couples; recognises that there are still many couples in the UK that are unable to access this treatment on the NHS despite the publication of a NICE clinical guideline that recommends that up to three full cycles of IVF be provided to those with a clinical need; and calls on those primary care trusts thathave suspended all funding for IVF services to reconsider so that couples with infertility have equal access to treatment.","date":"2010-12-06","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42121","proposer":"24892","edm":"1115","session":"2010-12","title":"Eu Orphan Drug Legislation And Its Effects On People With Rare Neuromuscular Conditions","text":"That this House welcomes the letter published in the British Medical Journal by leading doctors from the Oxford Muscle and Nerve Centre and across the country, supported by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and Myasthenia Gravis Association, working with patients with two rare neuromuscular conditions,congenital myasthenic syndrome and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome,regarding the high cost of the one available treatment for these conditions; notes that, prior to its licensing, the drug was cheaply available to clinicians for 20 years; is concerned that the cost has now risen by 70 to 100 fold since the licence was granted, taking the cost per patient from between 800 and 1,250 per year to between 40,000 and 70,000 per year; further notes that, while the drug company is legally entitled to act in this way under the current EU orphan drugs legislation, the legislation was originally intended to encourage drug companies to conduct research into rare diseases and develop original treatments; shares the concern of clinicians that some patients are now being denied this treatment due to its high cost; and calls on the Government to review the regulations to ensure access to treatments for patients with these rare neuromuscular conditions, and best value for the taxpayer.","date":"2010-12-01","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42108","proposer":"10518","edm":"1104","session":"2010-12","title":"Cardiac Surgery In The Nhs","text":"That this House welcomes the findings highlighted by the European Association forCardio-Thoracic Surgeons and the Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons that NHS heart surgery patients in England and Wales have a greater chance of survival and recovery than almost anywhere else in Europe; notes evidence showing that cardiac surgery patients have a mortality rate that is 25 per cent. lower than the European average; further notes that hospital stays for coronary heart bypass surgery in England and Wales are around 10 per cent. shorter than the European average, resulting in a 6.4 million saving for the NHS; and congratulates cardiac surgeons and their teams across the NHS on the findings that cardiac surgery in the NHS consistently delivers above average results.","date":"2010-11-30","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42111","proposer":"10027","edm":"1107","session":"2010-12","title":"Royal College Of Speech And Language Therapists' Giving Voice Campaign","text":"That this House notes that communication disability is the most common disorder in childhood, that 10 per cent. of children start school with speech, language and communication needs, and in areas of deprivation 55 per cent. of children start school without the necessary skills to learn to read and write and that 70 per cent. of young offenders have speech, language and communication needs; is concerned that without access to specialist support and the training provided by speech and language therapists to health visitors, teachers and the wider workforce, these problems become entrenched; further notes that early investment in speech and language therapy reduces avoidable costs and waste within the health sector, local authorities, education system, justice system and the wider economy; is further concerned that budgetary pressures are already forcing cutbacks in local services; welcomes the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists' (RCSLT) Giving Voice campaign which aims to increase understanding of the role of speech and language therapy and to show how therapy transforms lives and releases value for government, society and the economy, not only for children and young people but also for adults such as stroke survivors; and calls on the Government to work with the RCSLT and others to ensure that local decision makers safeguard access to timely speech and language therapy and to ensure that public health budgets can be used for speech and language therapy.","date":"2010-11-30","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42096","proposer":"10614","edm":"1096","session":"2010-12","title":"Belgrave Medical Practice, Leicester","text":"That this House is deeply concerned that patients at Belgrave Medical Practice in Leicester have been left without a local, easily accessible general practitioner since the closure of the practice in August 2010; notes that patients have complained about the length of time the primary care trust's procurement process will take; further notes that an offer of temporary cover by a local practice manager has been turned down due to formalities in the procurement procedure; believes that all patients should have access to a local practice; and calls on the Government to ensure bureaucracy does not prevent primary care trusts from enacting swift solutions to local general practitioner problems.","date":"2010-11-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42067","proposer":"11309","edm":"1077","session":"2010-12","title":"Nhs Internet Privacy","text":"That this House notes with serious concern that the pages of the NHS Choices website allows third-party advertising and tracking companies, including Google and Facebook, to track people's internet browsing habits; believes that it is inappropriate for advertising and social networking companies to observe what an individual is viewing on a Government website that deals with sensitive medical information; further notes that the sharing of personal data of its users with companies outside the European Economic Area and with for-profit advertising companies may render the NHS in breach of its data protection obligations to the Information Commissioner's Office; and calls on the Department of Health to review its policy to ensure the privacy of all users of its websites is protected.","date":"2010-11-23","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42063","proposer":"10367","edm":"1073","session":"2010-12","title":"New Patient Treatment Centre At Christie's, Manchester","text":"That this House warmly welcomes today's opening of the new Patient Treatment Centre at Christie's Hospital; recognises the enormous affection and gratitude felt by people throughout the North West of England for the hospital's compassionate work in healing the sick, nursing the dying and caring for their loved ones over the 100 years of its existence; is aware that the new treatment centre will house the largest chemotherapy facility in Britain, offering many different treatments for different cancers; is further aware that over 2,400 patients will be able to access the latest research treatments in the early clinical trials unit, the largest such unit in the world; believes that this research will give hope locally to those taking part and will bring about viable treatments for people globally; and is firmly convinced that this means Christie's will be able to do even more to save lives in Greater Manchester and, through this research effort, around the world.","date":"2010-11-22","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42014","proposer":"10614","edm":"1025","session":"2010-12","title":"World Diabetes Day","text":"That this House welcomes World Diabetes Day on 14 November 2010; recognises the impact of diabetes in the UK and worldwide; notes that approximately 230 million people currently suffer from diabetes worldwide and that many more may be undiagnosed; further notes that World Diabetes Day provides much-needed global awareness of the condition; and urges the Government to workwith charities and practitioners to increase public awareness of the condition and the benefits of an active and healthy lifestyle.","date":"2010-11-17","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"42010","proposer":"10754","edm":"1021","session":"2010-12","title":"Battle To Raise Awareness Campaign","text":"That this House congratulates students from Bournemouth and Poole College for their work in campaigning for cervical cancer screenings to be more readily available; is pleased that 1,000 lives a year are saved as a direct result of cervical cancer screening; recognises that eight out of 10 cases of cervical cancer are prevented from developing due to early screenings; acknowledges that the average age of repeated sexual activity in the UK is 16 years; and calls on the Government to reconsider its policy on cervical cancer screening to make screenings available to women at a younger age.","date":"2010-11-16","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41985","proposer":"10013","edm":"996","session":"2010-12","title":"Coalition Of Brain Tumour Organisations Manifesto","text":"That this House welcomes the manifesto published by the coalition of brain tumour organisations; and supports the three key recommendations, that medical guidelines should be set to ensure early diagnosis and treatment for everyone affected by a brain tumour, that all those diagnosed with a brain tumour should receive a consistently high standard of treatment and care throughout the UK and that there must be a significantly enhanced national programme of brain tumour research.","date":"2010-11-12","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41963","proposer":"10576","edm":"974","session":"2010-12","title":"Clostridium Difficile And Prebiotics","text":"That this House acknowledges the potential of prebiotics to prevent clostridium difficilein a clinical setting, thereby improving patient experience and saving NHS resources; notes that clostridium difficile remains a serious problem in the UK with 6,342 cases reported by English primary care organisations in the first quarter of 2010 alone; fears that more cases may go unreported; believes that prevention must accompany treatment and containment if the number of infections is to be substantially reduced; further acknowledges that the cost to the NHS of one clostridium difficile infection is calculated to exceed 4,000, while a course of prebiotics costs under 10 a month; recognises that clostridium difficile infection is caused by antibiotics depleting a patient's beneficial gut bacteria, which prebiotics have been shown to promote; calls attention to the difference between prebiotics and probiotics, noting the greater efficacy of the former in promoting gut health; recommends that the Government considers the use of prebiotic food supplements in hospitals, nursing homes and clinics; and supports a pilot of prebiotics in a clinical setting in the UK.","date":"2010-11-09","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41927","proposer":"11707","edm":"940","session":"2010-12","title":"Prostate Cancer And Movember Charity","text":"That this House recognises that prostate cancer is the most common cancer amongst men with one man dying every hour from the disease in the UK; acknowledges that nine out of 10 men diagnosed with prostate cancer are over 60 years old and that those with a family history and men from an African or Caribbean background are at higher risk; supports the right of every man over 50, and young men at higher risk, to have access to balanced information about the prostate-specific antigen test, which can help diagnose prostate cancer; welcome the work carried out by the international charity Movember where men are encouraged to grow moustaches to raise awareness and funds for the prostate cancer charity in the UK, with the money raised by Movember going towards the development of programmes related to awareness, public education, advocacy, support of those affected and research into the prevention, detection, treatment and cure of prostate cancer; and calls on the Government to support Movember in raising vital awareness and funds for this terrible disease and to better last year's45,000 participants and 5 million raised in the UK.","date":"2010-11-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41931","proposer":"10428","edm":"944","session":"2010-12","title":"British Lung Foundation","text":"That this House is aware that annually in Britain approximately eight millionUK citizens are affected by lung disease, respiratory health problems being the second biggest killer in the UK with annual death rates almost double the European average; notes that so far over 40 unhealthy lung conditions have been identified including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) the umbrella term used to classify a number of related conditions which includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema and other small airway diseases, that themselves currently kill around 24,000 people every year, a figure higher than the death rates for bowel, breast and prostate cancers; is aware that17 November 2010 has been designated as World COPD Day, a date chosen also by the British Lung Foundation to launch its Missing Millions Get Tested campaign, aimed at encouraging the estimated 3.7 million in the UK with COPD to register and if necessary receive treatment for their condition; congratulates this excellent organisation for its work; and calls on the Government to give whatever help it can in support of its worthy endeavours.","date":"2010-11-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41934","proposer":"10170","edm":"947","session":"2010-12","title":"Nice Recommendations For Alzheimer's Disease Drugs","text":"That this House notes that dementia is a devastating illness which affects over 800,000 people in the UK, two-thirds of them suffering from Alzheimer's disease and with only about a tenth receiving drug treatment; understands that for patients suffering in all stages of the disease some drug treatments can help to alleviate symptoms but that currently there are no National Institutefor Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommended treatment options for mild or severe forms of the disease; believes that the current NICE technology appraisal of Alzheimer's diseease will allow drugs, which can improve the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, to be more widely available; congratulates NICE on its recently published draft guidance on Alzheimer's disease, which recommends the use of donepezil, galantamine and rivastigmine for Alzheimer's patients suffering from a mild and moderate form of the disease as well as recommending memantine for use in patients suffering from severe Alzheimer's and some moderate Alzheimer's patients; welcomes that there will now be NICE recommended treatment options for patients suffering at all stages of Alzheimer's disease, which will help to alleviate the terrible symptoms for thousands of patients; further notes that NICE has recognised the benefits that memantine can have on patients suffering from behavioural symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, including aggression and agitation; further welcomes the contribution this could have towards reducing the prescriptions of anti-psychotic, chemical cosh, drugs; and looks forward to the current draft recommendations being finalised unchanged at the end of the consultation period.","date":"2010-11-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41913","proposer":"24852","edm":"926","session":"2010-12","title":"Combined Seasonal And Swine Influenza Vaccine","text":"That this House acknowledges that the seasonal influenza vaccine is being administered in combination with the swine influenza vaccine, with no alternative single seasonal influenza vaccine available; is concerned that many patients are not being made aware of this by their surgeries; notes that this denial both of information and the ability to choose not to receive the swine influenza vaccination undermines the Government's promotion of patient choice; and urges the Government to call on health practitioners to provide full and transparent information about the composition, risks and benefits of such vaccinations.","date":"2010-11-01","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41923","proposer":"11592","edm":"936","session":"2010-12","title":"Cancer-Related Hair Loss And Wig Services In The Nhs","text":"That this House recognises the often profound psychological and physical impact that hair loss can have on individuals undergoing treatment for cancer and on those with alopecia; notes with concern the variation in quality, access and equity of wig provision across the UK; further notes the significant impact that good quality wigs and wig services can have on the self-esteem and self-confidence of individuals following treatment for cancer or as a result of other medical hair loss; further recognises the vital work being undertaken by My New Hair in campaigning for an improvement in the quality and choice of wigs provided by the NHS; warmly welcomes My New Hair's work in providing a national helpline and online resource where patients and carers can access the information they need in order to make an informed choice about the services available to them, includingon choosing a wig, options for children, men and minority ethnic groups through to aftercare and styling; and calls on the Government to take action to reassess the current commissioning guidelines for NHS wig services in order to provide a high standard of care to all individuals sufferingfrom alopecia or medical hair loss.","date":"2010-11-01","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41925","proposer":"10415","edm":"938","session":"2010-12","title":"Osteoporosis","text":"That this House notes that osteoporosis causes fragile bones, which can lead to painful and disabling fractures; is concerned that in the UK, one in two women and one in five men will suffer a fracture at some point after the age of 50, mainy because of poor bone health; is concerned about the increase in fragility fracture incidence that is predicted, partly as a result of the ageing population; welcomes the fact that comprehensive falls and fracture services have been proven to reduce fracture rates and could save 8.5 million for the NHS and social care in England during the coming five years; commends the Fracture Liaison Service in Greater Glasgow, where hospital admissions for hip fracture in older people fell by 7.3 per cent. between 1998 and 2008; and calls on the Government to ensure that a reduction in fragility fracture incidence becomes a key outcome measure for the NHS.","date":"2010-11-01","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41902","proposer":"24798","edm":"915","session":"2010-12","title":"Occupational Therapy Week, 1 To 7 November 2010","text":"That this House supports Occupational Therapy Week, which runs from 1 to 7 November 2010, organised by the British Association and College of Occupational Therapists; congratulates occupational therapists employed in the health service, social care and across communities for their dedicated and vital work to aid the effective recovery of patients and allow them to recover ordinary lives; recognises that occupational therapists work in many spheres including those of children, young people and families, HIV\/AIDS, oncology, palliative care, housing, mental health, neurological practice,older people, people with learning disabilities, rheumatology, and trauma and orthopaedics using the knowledge that occupation is essential to human existence and good health and well-being; urges the Government to continue to recognise that occupational therapists are a significant section of the NHS clinical and social care workforce; and recommends that all hon. Members visit an occupational therapy service in their local area to see the important work that is being done.","date":"2010-10-28","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41848","proposer":"24784","edm":"867","session":"2010-12","title":"European Health Insurance Cards","text":"That this House notes that the Government provides EU Health Insurance cards free of charge, despite not being required so to do by European social security regulations 883\/2004 and 987\/2009; is concerned that after the last administration introduced this bureaucracy in June 2004, the cost to the taxpayer has increased to 3.5 million in 2009-10; is further concerned that these cards serve no purpose greater than identification abroad and in essence do the same job as a passport; and calls on the Government to scrap the provision of EU Health Insurance cards altogether, spend the money on frontline services, and use the tried and tested British passport for identification abroad instead.","date":"2010-10-20","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41850","proposer":"24730","edm":"869","session":"2010-12","title":"Euthanasia And Palliative Care","text":"That this House welcomes the Government's statement that any change to the law on assisted suicide or voluntary euthanasia is a matter for Parliament to consider rather than one of Government policy; notes the ongoing efforts of the euthanasia lobby to bring about the legalisation of these practices; further notes that, although campaigners often proclaim their wish to see a change in the law limited to the licensing of assisted suicide for those who are terminally ill, they often appear to be supportive of practices which go beyond these limitations; believes that the existing law, with its flexibility not to prosecute in appropriate instances, provides an optimal combination of deterrence with compassion; opposes as dangerous to vulnerable people any change in the law relating to assisted suicide or voluntary euthanasia; endorses the report by The Economist's Economic Intelligence Unit ranking the UK as top of the list of 40 OECD and non-OECD nations for quality of care of the dying; and calls on the Government to continue investing in palliative care.","date":"2010-10-20","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41842","proposer":"10428","edm":"861","session":"2010-12","title":"Archer Report And Haemophilia","text":"That this House is aware that during the 1970s and 1980s NHS services infected more than 5,000 people with bleeding disorders and more than 1,200 others and their partners who were infected with HIV from which some died; cannot understand why successive administrations have refused to hold a public inquiry into these tragic events or provide full financial settlements to those involved at a level equivalent to that awarded to sufferers in the Republic of Ireland; and calls on the Government to give full legal effect to the recommendations of the Archer report so that justice may finally be granted to those involved.","date":"2010-10-19","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41822","proposer":"11707","edm":"843","session":"2010-12","title":"Breakthrough Breast Cancer And Breast Cancer Awareness Month","text":"That this House recognises that breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK with nearly 46,000 women diagnosed with the disease each year; accepts that although the number of breast cancer deaths in the UK has decreased considerably in recent years, survival rates still lag behind some other European countries; notes that there is evidence that being breast aware - knowing the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and the importance of early presentation - and regularly attending NHS breast screening appointments are two of the three most influential factors on breast cancer survival in the UK, the third being improved treatments; acknowledges that breast screening is a vital part of early diagnosis, with an estimated 1,400 lives saved in England each year thanks to the NHS breast screening programme; further notes that currently invitations for NHS breast screening are sent to women aged 50 to 70 years every three years, and that beyond this age women are still entitled to free breast screening but need to make their own appointments; and supports Breakthrough Breast Cancer's call for GPs to encourage all women to be breast aware, remind women over 50 years to attend their breast screening appointments and make their older patients aware that they can still attend breast screening.","date":"2010-10-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41733","proposer":"24754","edm":"773","session":"2010-12","title":"Deaths At Gosport Hospital","text":"That this House notes with dismay the recent decision by the Crown Prosecution Service not to prosecute any individual doctor, nurse or manager for unlawful killing at Gosport War Memorial Hospital; condemns the delay, lack of co-ordination and ineffectiveness by the regulatory agencies, particularly the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence, in their inability to apportion responsibility for failings in the care of frail, vulnerable and elderly patients in the care of the NHS; considers the aforementioned in light of the deaths of 92 patients having occurred in unusual circumstances at the Gosport War Memorial Hospital, Portsmouth, between 1996 and 2000; further notes the findings made by the General Medical Council that the clinical assistant, Dr Jane Barton, was guilty of multiple counts of serious professional misconduct; further notes a damning report in 2002 by the Commission for Healthcare Improvement and 10 inquests establishing that patients had died as a result of inappropriate treatment; further notes the ambiguous circumstances in the majority of cases, the failure of the relevant authorities to hold any person or persons properly to account, the lack of evidence of lessons having been learnt to protect patients in the future and the lack of public confidence in the hospital; and calls on the Secretary of State for Health to launch an independent public inquiry with powers to establish the facts and analyse medical evidence in order to achieve the aims of patient safety and accountability.","date":"2010-09-16","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41682","proposer":"11093","edm":"722","session":"2010-12","title":"Bassetlaw Accident And Emergency Department","text":"That this House welcomes the Secretary of State's confirmation that there will be no reduction in service at Bassetlaw Accident and Emergency (AE) department during this Parliament; and thanks the Bassetlaw public, local authorities and GPs for their consistently strong support for a full 24-hour critical care AE department remaining at this prestigious hospital.","date":"2010-09-13","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41664","proposer":"24889","edm":"704","session":"2010-12","title":"Regulation Of Herbalists And The Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive","text":"That this House notes that thousands of consumers annually seek treatment from practitioners of herbal therapies and that Ministers are considering whether such practitioners should be statutorily regulated; furthernotes that such regulation would enhance consumer protection whilst maintaining consumer choice; observes that regulation would also permit herbalists under relevant European legislation to commission specific herbal remedies to be manufactured for their clients and so avoid the prohibition of such unlicensed specialist herbal products from April 2011 when the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive is fully implemented; and urges Ministers to bring forward statutory regulation without delay to enhance patient protection and secure consumer and practitioner access to safe and popular herbal remedies.","date":"2010-09-09","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41658","proposer":"10428","edm":"698","session":"2010-12","title":"Nhs Privatisation And Shared Business Services","text":"That this House is aware that despite widespread opposition from the general public in Nottinghamshire, the NHS Nottinghamshire County, NHS Nottingham City and Bassetlaw Primary Care Trust have decided to award their Family Health Service support functions to a private company called Shared Business Services; notes that included in this company's strategy is the planned outsourcing of 100 NHS jobs to India and the offshoring of local patient data; and believes that such a decision is not in the interests of local health services as local administrative workers in the NHS play a vital and extremely important part in the service, enabling both attention to patient need and giving front-line staff the opportunity to spend their time instead on working effectively, efficiently and safely on patient needs.","date":"2010-09-08","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41642","proposer":"10527","edm":"682","session":"2010-12","title":"Mental Healthcare In Higher Education Establishments","text":"That this House recognises with concern the considerable variation in mental welfare provision and promotion in higher education institutions (HEIs) and that there is no minimum standard of assistance that those suffering from mental ill health in HEIs can expect to receive; notes that around half of HEIs do not have a formal mental health policy; further notes that HEIs provide a unique context both for tackling the stigma associated with mental ill health through education and information provision and for early intervention to minimise both economic and psychological costs associated with mental illness; further notes that whilst the NHS is the appropriate avenue for medical treatment, institutional policy can nonetheless ensure that awareness of the relevant issues is improved, where those suffering are aware of avenues for support and that such policy is formulated by senior management; further notes that substantial improvements in the quality of mental health promotion and provision can be achieved through the adoption of best practice; and calls on the Government to bring forward regulations to ensure that all HEIs provide a good standard of support for those with mental health conditions.","date":"2010-09-07","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41651","proposer":"24938","edm":"691","session":"2010-12","title":"Still-Birth Certificates","text":"That this House notes with approval that it has been possible for a full name to be recorded on a still-birth certificate since 1995; further notes that still births before 24 weeks gestation do not have to be recorded, but that an informal certificate can be issued to the bereaved parents; and calls on hospitals to recognise the loss suffered by such parents by making them aware of these certificates as a matter of policy.","date":"2010-09-07","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41623","proposer":"11667","edm":"664","session":"2010-12","title":"Food Supplements And Competition From The Channel Islands","text":"That this House welcomes the progress made by the governments of Guernsey and Jersey in addressing unfair and illegal competition in the trade in food supplements and herbal remedies from the Channel Islands; hopes that priority will now be given by the Islands' governments to the implementation and enforcement of the Food Supplements Directive, the Nutrition and Health Claim Regulation and the Medicines Directive; further welcomes the assurances given by those governments that they will fully implement that legislation; further hopes that the new UK Government will continue to engage in addressing these issues and will provide the Channel Islands' governments with support and practical assistance; remains concerned that businesses from the Channel Islands continue to market directly to the UK mainland products which contain illegal ingredients or which are promoted using illegal claims thus jeopardising consumer safety; observes that this situation will not be resolved as long as the required food legislation is not fully implemented and enforced in either Guernsey or Jersey; and calls on the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, Food Standards Agency, Royal Mail, Advertising Standards Authority, and trading standards officers to continue actively to engage with the authorities in the Channel Islands to secure the effective implementation of the necessary legislation without further delay.","date":"2010-09-06","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41627","proposer":"11672","edm":"668","session":"2010-12","title":"Leeds Children's Hospital Launch Appeal","text":"That this House supports the Leeds Children's Hospital Launch Appeal on 8 September 2010; welcomes the opportunity for donations and fundraising events to be held in aid of the hospital; recognises the hugely important work that Leeds Children's Hospital does; encourages donations to be made so as to improve equipment, purchase distractiontoys for wards, departments and waiting areas, support research and development into new and better treatments and provide accommodation and other support services for families; and further encourages the wider community to donate to the appeal and support the Leeds Children's Hospital.","date":"2010-09-06","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41572","proposer":"24713","edm":"615","session":"2010-12","title":"Cossham Memorial Hospital","text":"That this House welcomes the 19 million redevelopment of Cossham Memorial Hospital; further welcomes that building work has begun finally on refurbishing the Hospital; praises the vital work of the League of Friends of Cossham Hospital and the Save Cossham Hospital Group in campaigning for Cossham to remain open and preventing the Hospital from closure under the previous government; thanks them for their determined and hard-fought campaign to keep the Hospital open; notes that Cossham Hospital is scheduled to open again in early 2012; and believes that the newly refurbished Cossham Hospital will provide first-class healthcare facilities for the people of Kingswood.","date":"2010-07-26","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41573","proposer":"24966","edm":"616","session":"2010-12","title":"Screening For Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms","text":"That this House supports the Circulation Foundation's efforts to raise awareness of the planned national screening programme for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA); welcomes the work carried out by the NHS AAA screening programme team; notes that abdominal aortic aneurysms are the third most common cause of death for males aged over 65 and that each year nearly 7,000 people, almost all of them men, die suddenly and without symptoms; and urges the Government to reaffirm its support for the programme and its full implementation as quickly as possible.","date":"2010-07-26","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41585","proposer":"10256","edm":"628","session":"2010-12","title":"Proposed Closure Of Woodlands Respite Home","text":"That this House is concerned that the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society intends to close Woodlands in York, a respite home for people suffering from multiple sclerosis; notes that the press and media were informed of the proposed closure before users and local authority social services departments; and calls on the MS Society to reconsider its decision to close Woodlands in the light of the distress which it will cause to users.","date":"2010-07-26","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41598","proposer":"10009","edm":"641","session":"2010-12","title":"Carotid Artery Surgery","text":"That this House welcomes the findings of the UK Audit of Vascular Surgical Services and Carotid Endarterectomy which states that patients with symptoms of a mini-stroke or transient ischemic attack are missing out on life-saving surgery of the carotid artery because they fail to recognise the symptoms, that patients who do not recognise the symptoms are treated as low priority in the NHS, and that if patients have surgeryof the carotid artery ideally within 14 days this will prevent them fromhaving a full stroke,saving approximately 500 lives a year; and calls on the Government to raise awareness of the symptoms of mini-stroke and reorganise vascular surgery services so that services are concentrated in fewer, larger centres to ensure adequate staffing and resources, enabling an extra 6,500 patients a year to benefit from surgery of the carotid arteryand preventing the debilitating effects of stroke.","date":"2010-07-26","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41548","proposer":"24864","edm":"591","session":"2010-12","title":"Epilepsy Specialist Nurses","text":"That this House welcomes Epilepsy Action's report Best Care: the value of epilepsy specialist nurses; supports Epilepsy Action's campaign to preserve epilepsy specialist nurse (ESN) posts; recognises the invaluable contribution to patient care of the epilepsy specialist nurse; notes that ESNs save costs by reducing demand on consultants' time, reducing hospital admissions and reducing emergency readmissions; further recognises the increasing threat to ESNs of redundancy, reduced working hours or assignment to non-specialist duties as trusts seek short-term cost savings; and calls on the Government to ensure there is a national plan to enable all patients who are assessed as requiring access to an ESN to have that access.","date":"2010-07-22","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41539","proposer":"10614","edm":"582","session":"2010-12","title":"Diabetes Research (No. 2)","text":"That this House welcomes recent research which has found that diabetes can be treated by rescuing insulin producing cells and transplanting them into the liver; believes that diabetes sufferers could benefit hugely from this new pioneering treatment; congratulates the work done by the University of Leicester, which is one of only 20 centres worldwide which are capable of harvesting the pancreatic islets; notes that diabetes and diabetes-related conditions cost the NHS 1 million per hour; and calls on the Government to increase research funding as this could prevent this huge expenditure in the future.","date":"2010-07-21","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41531","proposer":"24900","edm":"574","session":"2010-12","title":"Chlamydia Screening In England","text":"That this House recognises that one in 14 of those aged between 15 and 24 who test for chlamydia is infected; notes that chlamydia often has no obvious symptoms; further notes that, if left untreated, it can lead to conditions including infertility, ectopic pregnancy and pelvic inflammatory disease as well as onward transmission of the infection to sexual partners; further recognises that chlamydia screening in England is now cost-effective according to the Health Protection Agency's modelling; welcomes the National Audit Office's review of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme which demonstrates how further savings could be made whilst increasing diagnosis and treatment of the infection; and calls on the Secretary of State for Health to reform and maintain the delivery of opportunistic chlamydia screening for young people in England to reverse the epidemic and instil good attitudes towards sexual health in young people.","date":"2010-07-20","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41532","proposer":"24784","edm":"575","session":"2010-12","title":"Lockerbie Bombing And The Release Of Abdel Basset Al-Megrahi","text":"That this House deeply regrets that the Lockerbie bomber, a mass-murderer convicted by British courts, was let out of prison early on dubious health grounds, and with allegations of murky commercial interests; is concerned that in September 2007theright hon. Member for Blackburn, the then Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, assured the Scottish government that al-Megrahi would be excluded from the final prisoner transfer agreement; notes that in December 2007 the Scottish government was told by the Government that they had not been able to secure an exemption for al-Megrahi and had decided to go ahead with the agreement `in view of the overwhelming interests of the UK'; further notes that in January 2008Libya ratified a major oil deal with BP that had previously been stalled; and therefore calls on the Government to ensure that such a distortion of the will of British courts is never permitted to occur again and that never again will a mass-murderer, convicted by British courts, be let out of prison and sent back to a dictatorship where he was welcomed as a hero and now lives in freedom.","date":"2010-07-20","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41476","proposer":"10057","edm":"523","session":"2010-12","title":"Free Prescriptions For People With Long-Term Conditions","text":"That this House welcomes the publication of Professor Sir Ian Gilmore's review of prescription charges; supports Professor Gilmore's recommendation that free prescriptions should be introduced for people with long-term conditions, as defined by the review; believes that free prescriptions for people with long-term conditions would improve concordance with medication and prevent the symptoms and\/or the condition worsening, thus reducing the impact of living with a long-term condition for the individual and making significant savings for the NHS in treating long-term conditions, as outlined in Professor Gilmore's report; and urges the Secretary of State for Health to outline as soon as possible how he intends to act on the recommendations of Professor Gilmore's report and to set out a clear timeline to reform the arbitrary and unjust prescription charges system for people with long-term conditions.","date":"2010-07-15","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41439","proposer":"10063","edm":"486","session":"2010-12","title":"Duty Of Candour In Healthcare","text":"That this House welcomes the commitment by the Government to introduce a requirement for hospitals to be open with patients when things go wrong; and urges the Government to take this action as soon as possible by introducing such a statutory duty as part of the registration regulations for the Care Quality Commission, to make this duty applicable to all health providers including hospitals and to make it a requirement to be open with the patient's next of kin or representative in the event of death or incapacity.","date":"2010-07-13","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41441","proposer":"24864","edm":"488","session":"2010-12","title":"General Medical Council Guidance On Treatment And Care Towards The End Of Life","text":"That this House congratulates the General Medical Council (GMC) on developing new guidance, Treatment and care towards the end of life: good practice in decision-making; supports the guidance in stating that patients must be given the opportunity to discuss in advance what treatment and care they want towards the end of life; notes that the guidance supports doctors in providing the best quality of care and support at the end of life and helps them to make complex decisions in areas such as approaching conversations about organ and tissue donation, care after death and decisions which involve infants and very young babies; welcomes the emphasis in the guidance on the importance of good communication, dignity and respect for the individual and on recognising the role of family and carers and involving and supporting them in the decision-making process; further congratulates the GMC on its extensive consultation with doctors, patients and their families and carers and other healthcare professionals throughout the development of the guidance; and fully supports the GMC in developing a range of practical learning materials to ensure the guidance is understood and utilised by the medical profession and is useful to the wider healthcare community, patients and the public.","date":"2010-07-13","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41444","proposer":"11592","edm":"491","session":"2010-12","title":"Treatment For Kidney Cancer","text":"That this House observes that between 7,000 and 8,000 people are diagnosed with kidney cancer in the UK each year, and that around 40 per cent. of patients have advanced cancer at the time of diagnosis; notes that everolimus is the only licensed treatment for patients with advanced and\/or metastatic renal cell carcinoma who have failed on first-line treatment; notes with concern that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has not recommended funding for everolimus; is concerned by the number of clinically effective cancer drugs which are turned down by NICE despite additional guidance on end-of-life medicines issued by NICE to the appraisal committees; and calls on NICE to reconsider its recommendations so that patients may be able to access this drug on the NHS.","date":"2010-07-13","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41410","proposer":"24825","edm":"458","session":"2010-12","title":"Neuromuscular Services In The Nhs West Midlands","text":"That this House congratulates the NHS West Midlands Specialised Commissioning Group on its decision to invest 400,000 in specialised neuromuscular services; notes that this will serve the 6,000 people living in the region affected by muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions; further notes that the investment is the result of a six month review commmissioned by the Specialised Commissioning Group in response to the publication of the Building on the Foundations report by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign in April 2009 which highlighted the fact that half of all the children and adults with neuromuscular conditions in the West Midlands do not receive any specialised medical care; welcomes the commitment to reduce the 6.6 million spent annually on unplanned emergency admissions for people living with rare and very rare muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions; calls on specialised commissioning groups across the country to follow the lead of the West Midlands; and praises the campaign led by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and the West Midlands Muscle Group, a coalition of local families, health professionals and experts in these conditions who continue to work together to fight for fair access to clinically effective, first class, specialised neuromuscular services across the West Midlands.","date":"2010-07-12","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41428","proposer":"10170","edm":"476","session":"2010-12","title":"Self Care Campaign","text":"That this House supports the Self Care Campaign White Paper which seeks to promote self care as an ethical imperative for the NHS in order to save 2 billion a year, to empower the public and to utilise health care professionals' time more effectively; recognises the value of the research undertaken by the Proprietary Association of Great Britain which indicates that there is a culture of dependency on general practice for minor ailments; urges the Secretary of State for Health to respond to the letter signed by GPs, practice nurses, primary care trusts and strategic health authorities in support of the Self Care Campaign White Paper; and calls on the Government to meet campaign representatives in order to discuss this issue further.","date":"2010-07-12","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41368","proposer":"11672","edm":"425","session":"2010-12","title":"Wharfedale Hospital","text":"That this House congratulates the Wharfedale Hospital in Otley, Leeds, for gaining excellent status across all departments in the recent Patient Environment Action Team inspection, which annually evaluates England's in-patient healthcare sites; commends the work done by the hospital's staff to provide quality care and an excellent environment for patients; recognises the importance of such hospitals in bringing excellent service to their local communities and the benefits that develop when such best practice is shared among hospitals throughout England; and supports the continued operations of such crucial community assets as Wharfedale Hospital.","date":"2010-07-07","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41381","proposer":"11707","edm":"438","session":"2010-12","title":"Burnage Walk-In Centre, Manchester","text":"That this House notes the high level of opposition to the closing of the Burnage Walk-In Centre by Manchester NHS as evidenced by the large number of local residents signing a petition for its reopening; further notes that the statistics provided by NHS Manchester show that the Burnage Walk-In Centre had the lowest cost per patient of all the walk-in centres in South Manchester; further notes that local residents have complained that transport to Withington Community Hospital is infrequent and difficultfor many Burnage residents; and urges NHS Manchester to recognise the highvalue of the centre to Burnage residents and to reopen the Burnage Walk-In Centre as soon as possible.","date":"2010-07-07","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41353","proposer":"24901","edm":"412","session":"2010-12","title":"Neuromuscular Services In The Nhs South Central Region","text":"That this House congratulates the NHS South Central Specialised Commissioning Group onits announcement in March 2010 of an in-depth review of specialised neuromuscular services in the region; notes that there are 4,800 people living in the South Central NHS region affected by muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions; further notes that the review follows a 12 month campaign by the South Central Muscle Group, a coalition of local families, health professionals and experts in these conditions supported by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign; further congratulates the South Central Specialised Commissioning Group forits commitment to fund two vital neuromuscular care advisers, to be based at the specialist centres at Southampton and Oxford to provide invaluable support for families living with these rare and very rare conditions; further notes that neuromuscular care advisers provide cost-effective care by helping to save consultant time and, as part of a multidisciplinary team, help to prevent expensive and traumatic emergency hospital admissions for this group of patients; and calls on the Government to urge the Specialised Commissioning Group to bring forward recommendations followingits review to ensure that all families living with muscle disease in the region have access to specialist multidisciplinary care which improves quality of life and increases life expectancy.","date":"2010-07-06","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41361","proposer":"24892","edm":"342A1","session":"2010-12","title":"British Medical Association Motions On Homeopathy","text":"leave out from `House' to end and insert `welcomes the policy adopted by the British Medical Association (BMA) concurring with the conclusions of the Science and Technology Select Committee's Fourth Report of Session 2009-10, Evidence Check 2: Homeopathy, HC45, and opposing the funding of homeopathy on the NHS; recognises that the BMA decides its policies democratically whereby any member can stand for election as a representative to its Annual Representative Meeting or to its Council; considers that a professional medical organisation is better placed to judge the evidence for the efficacy and the cost-effectiveness of a treatment, and the ethics of prescribing placebos based on a pseudo-scientific explanation of a non-existent mode of action, than the homeopathy industry itself; regrets that a small minority of doctors seek to use placebos in preference to appropriate reassurance or effective medicines; believes that the number of people who choose to use homeopathy or other non-evidence-based approaches is a separate question from whether the NHS should spend scarce resources on such things; further believes that the existence of anecdotes and books, even hardback ones, that suggest that homeopathy is effective merely highlights the importance of differentiating, through techniques such as randomised controlled trials, between evidence and anecdote; notes that those who want to use homeopathic treatments are not prevented from accessing them through commercial outlets; and agrees with the Select Committee that putting patients through pointless further clinical trials, and the spending of scarce public sector funds on any more research into homeopathy, cannot be justified.'.","date":"2010-07-06","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41337","proposer":"10753","edm":"397","session":"2010-12","title":"50th Anniversary Of The Death Of Aneurin Bevan","text":"That this House notes that it is 50 years since the death of Aneurin Bevan who took inspiration from his socialist ideals and the practical self-help health scheme of South Wales miners to create the National Health Service; and acknowledges the scale of his achievement in creating a health service for all, based on need and free at the point of use.","date":"2010-07-05","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41340","proposer":"24784","edm":"400","session":"2010-12","title":"Cost Of Telephone And Television Services For Nhs Patients","text":"That this House welcomes the Minister of State for Health's commitment that he will take on board the concerns expressed about the highly priced patient lines and NHS television services over many years; welcomes his assurance on 29 June 2010 that his Department will be looking into this critical problem; agrees strongly with the Minister that this issue is of serious concern to many people in Harlow and across the British Isles; and therefore calls upon the Minister to take swift action to introduce greater competition and choice for NHS patients, so that long-term patients are not penalised for accessing a basic service in a public hospital.","date":"2010-07-05","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41342","proposer":"24892","edm":"387A1","session":"2010-12","title":"Homeopathy","text":"leave out from `House' to end and insert `welcomes the policy adopted by the British Medical Association (BMA) concurring with the conclusions of the Science and Technology Select Committee's Fourth Report of Session 2009-10, Evidence Check 2: Homeopathy, HC45, and opposing the funding of homeopathy on the NHS; recognises that the BMA decides its policies democratically, whereby any member can stand for election as a representative to its Annual Representative Meeting or to its Council; considers that a professional medical organisation is better placed to judge the evidence for the efficacy and the cost-effectiveness of a treatment, and the ethics of prescribing placebos based on a pseudo-scientific explanation of a non-existent mode of action, than the homeopathy industry itself; regrets that a small minority of doctors seek to use placebos in preference to appropriate reassurances of effective medicines; believes that the number of people who choose to use homeopathy or other non-evidence based approaches is a separate question from whether the NHS should spend scarce resources on such things; further believes that the existence of anecdotes and books, even hardback ones, that suggest that homeopathy is effective merely highlights the importance of differentiating, through techniques such as randomised controlled trials, between evidence and anecdote; notes that those who want to use homeopathic treatments are not prevented from accessing them through commercial outlets; and agrees with the Select Committee that putting patients through pointless further clinical trials, and the spending of scarce public sector funds on any more research into homeopathy, cannot be justified.'.","date":"2010-07-05","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41320","proposer":"24892","edm":"380","session":"2010-12","title":"Availability Of Human Tissues For Medical Research","text":"That this House recognises the immense value of human tissue to medical research and the development of safe and effective medicines; regrets that researchers, both academic and commercial, struggle to obtain the tissues they need; and calls on the Government to facilitate the donation, retrieval and supply of this life-saving and life-enhancing resource through a number of measures, including the provision of the necessary infrastructure in hospitals, reducing the level of bureaucracy involved, working to increase awareness amongst the public and the health professions of the overwhelming need for tissues and giving all patients the opportunity to donate for research surplus tissues from surgery, which would otherwise be incinerated, if they wish to do so.","date":"2010-07-01","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41326","proposer":"10428","edm":"386","session":"2010-12","title":"Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (No. 2)","text":"That this House notes that people suffering from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy who live in Denmark are living into their 30s and 40s, proof that with the relevant available care, children and young men suffering from this debilitating illness can live on average 10 to 15 years longer than under the medical regime adopted for sufferers in the UK; urges the Government to immediately investigate why authorities and institutions in Britain have not yet adopted the Danish model of care for sufferers of this illness; and further urges the Government to ensure delivery of the same level of quality of treatment for UK citizens.","date":"2010-07-01","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41327","proposer":"10057","edm":"387","session":"2010-12","title":"Homeopathy","text":"That this House supports the findings of the Fourth Report of the Science and Technology Select Committee of Session 2009-10, Evidence Check 2: Homeopathy, HC45, and is unconvinced by isolated small studies of dubious significance; regrets the citing of isolated poor quality studies; believes that, if a placebo is as effective as a homeopathic solution, the placebo is to be preferred; and welcomes the conclusions of the 2010 British Medical Association Representative Meeting that the Commons Committee's conclusions are right.","date":"2010-07-01","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41332","proposer":"10428","edm":"392","session":"2010-12","title":"Bowel Cancer","text":"That this House recognises that 37,500 people in the UK are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year, a condition from which almost half of those so diagnosed will eventually die; further recognises that over 90 per cent. of all bowel cancer cases can be successfully treated if diagnosed early and that over the past decade major developments in cancer policy and treatments have vastly improved the quality of life of patients; notes however that many challenges remain; and praises the excellent work of organisations such as Cancer Research UK, the National Cancer Intelligence Network and its latest excellent campaign to beat bowel cancer; and calls on the Government to ensure that every assistance is given to help such organisations in their quest.","date":"2010-07-01","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41310","proposer":"10614","edm":"370","session":"2010-12","title":"Diabetes Research","text":"That this House recognises that type 2 diabetes represents one of the most signficant global challenges to health; notes that in the UK alone 2.6 million people have diabetes and that 95 per cent. of these have type 2 diabetes; congratulates Professor Mark McCarthy of the University of Oxford and his group of international scientists who have identified 12 new genes associated with type 2 diabetes; believes that a better understanding of type 2 diabetes will help to prevent people from developing the condition; and calls on the Government to encourage and support further research in this field.","date":"2010-06-30","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41282","proposer":"10602","edm":"342","session":"2010-12","title":"British Medical Association Motions On Homeopathy","text":"That this House regrets the decision taken at the Annual Representative Meeting of the British Medical Association to oppose further commissioning and funding of homeopathic remedies in the NHS; further regrets that doctors who opposed the motions were excluded from the meeting; notes that none of those voting on the issue had studied or had any experience of homeopathy; further notes that many of the 500 doctors trained in homeopathy in the UK prefer to use homeopathy, when appropriate, before using powerful allopathic drugs; further notes that surveys show that a large proportion of the population have at some time or other used homeopathy or herbal medicine; further notes that 140 books have been published on homeopathy and that there is overwhelming anecdotal evidence that homeopathy is effective, frequently in cases when patients have not found relief through conventional medical treatments; further notes that those who do not want homeopathic treatment or remedies are under no obligation to have or take them; believes that there should be further research in this area; and calls on the Government to maintain a policy of allowing health commissions to refer to homeopathic doctors and approved homeopaths when they think it appropriate.","date":"2010-06-29","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41293","proposer":"10428","edm":"353","session":"2010-12","title":"Paediatric Continence Services","text":"That this House is aware that one in 12 young people in the UK suffer continence problems which occur at crucial times of their emotional development, resulting in the loss of self esteem, isolation and bullying by their peers; is further aware that whilst young people experiencing such difficulties need early identification and effective treatment, current services in this area remain inadequate, poorly coordinated and likely to cause additional stress for the children and families concerned; believes that changes could be made at no additional or limited cost to meet the needs of sufferers, in particular regarding the availability of water and good clean toilet facilities in schools and in the local communities; and calls on the Government to remind local authorities and governing bodies that it is their responsibility to produce and maintain these services, and that they are required to deliver such within their areas.","date":"2010-06-29","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41262","proposer":"24892","edm":"284A1","session":"2010-12","title":"Bma Annual Representative Meeting Motions On Homeopathy","text":"leave out from `expresses' to end and insert `support for the right of the BMA to express its views about the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of any putative health treatment and the appropriateness of the NHS commissioning such treatments; notes that the motions of the 2010 BMA Annual Representative Meeting dealing with homeopathy endorse the findings of the recent report from the Fourth Report of the Science and Technology Select Committee of Session 2009-10 on Evidence Check 2: Homeopathy Fourth Report of Session, HC45, namely that the evidence base is clear that homeopathy is not effective beyond placebo and that scarce NHS funds should not be spent commissioning it at a time when, due to cost, the health service is not able to provide its patients even with treatments that have been shown to be effective in clinical trials; and further welcomes the view of the BMA that healthcare should be based on good evidence of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.'.","date":"2010-06-24","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41263","proposer":"24892","edm":"285A1","session":"2010-12","title":"Effect Of Homeopathic Remedies On Breast Cancer Cells","text":"leave out from `403' to end and insert `as an example of the failure of adequate scientific peer review because the paper provides no statistical analysis to support any conclusion, indicates that the experimental control, 87 per cent. alcohol solution, was itself toxic to the cell cultures, does not illustrate or explain the different chromatographic profiles of the solvent and the test substances, and does not provide sufficient data to allow proper evaluation of the study; notes that the lead author has retired and runs a homeopathy website which falsely claims that homeopathy is as effective as a conventional chemotherapy agent, Taxol, in treating breast cancer; further notes that one of the authors, Alison Pawlus, has publicly disowned the paper; regrets that isolated poor-quality studies are cited by proponents of homeopathy to endorse dangerous and exploitative cancer-curing claims in the face of overwhelming weight of scientific evidence against them; and agrees with the conclusions of the Science and Technology Select Committee's Fourth Report of Session 2009-10, Evidence Check 2: Homeopathy HC45 that putting patients through pointless further clinical trials, and the spending of scarce public sector funds on research into homeopathy cannot be justified.'.","date":"2010-06-24","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41240","proposer":"24723","edm":"306","session":"2010-12","title":"Keep Leuchie House Open","text":"That this House regrets the decision to close Leuchie House in North Berwick; notes that Leuchie House is the only respite home for sufferers of multiple sclerosis (MS) operating in Scotland and Northern England and is one of a total of only four across the UK; recognises that the level of care given at Leuchie House is exceptional and that the facility has achieved maximum scores in every area of the Care Commission's inspection; further recognises that Leuchie House is much-valued by service users and the closure of such a specialised facility will cause a strain on families and other services, such as the NHS, as they struggle to cope with the needs of MS patients; and calls on the Government to work with the Scottish Government and the MS Society to ensure the continuation of the facility.","date":"2010-06-23","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41247","proposer":"10222","edm":"313","session":"2010-12","title":"Support For Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients","text":"That this House supports the National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society (NASS) in its work for people with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a form of inflammatory arthritis which affects around 200,000 people in the UK with symptoms usually starting in early adulthood; notes the NASS drive to raise awareness of this condition, which can have a major impact on quality of life and ability to work; is concerned that many people with AS in the UK do not receive optimum care because of delayed diagnosis and lack of access to appropriate expertise and therapies; welcomes the recent NASS report Looking Ahead, which highlights the barriers to people with AS receiving the best care; and calls on the Government to ensure access to the specialists and treatments necessary to achieve the best possible outcomes for people with AS.","date":"2010-06-23","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41213","proposer":"10715","edm":"281","session":"2010-12","title":"Cancer Care And Outcomes","text":"That this House encourages the Government to implement the recommendations made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer (APPGC) in the report of its inquiry into cancer inequalities; welcomes the re-establishment of the APPGC; calls on members of both Houses to join the APPGC so it can maintain a high profile in Parliament for cancer reform and continue to highlight the fundamental issues affecting cancer patients and their families and carers; and further calls on the Government to address the unacceptable inequality which still exists in cancer care and outcomes in the UK.","date":"2010-06-21","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41216","proposer":"10602","edm":"284","session":"2010-12","title":"Bma Annual Representative Meeting Motions On Homeopathy","text":"That this House expresses concern at motions 301, 301a, 301b, 301c, 301d, 301e and 301f at this year's British Medical Association's (BMA) Annual Representative Meeting, which calls for no further commissioning of, nor funding for, homeopathic remedies in the NHS; believes that the BMA has overstepped its remit by making such statements without proper consultation with its own membership that practice homeopathy and, more importantly, with the tens of thousands of patients who depend on homeopathy; thinks that an integrated NHS, which employs the best from the orthodox and complementary, and which empowers patients, could deliver better and more cost-effective outcomes at a time of financial prudence; and calls on the Government to maintain its policy of allowing decision-making on individual clinical interventions, including homeopathy, to remain in the hands of local NHS service providers and practitioners who are best placed to know their community's needs.","date":"2010-06-21","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41217","proposer":"10602","edm":"285","session":"2010-12","title":"Effect Of Homeopathic Remedies On Breast Cancer Cells","text":"That this House welcomes the study published in the International Journal of Oncology (2010 Feb; 36(2): 395-403) which revealed that homeopathic remedies have a beneficial effect on breast cancer cells; notes that researchers at the University of Texas conducted an in vitro study to determine whether products prescribed by a clinic in India have any effect on breast cancer cell lines; further notes that the researchers studied four ultra-diluted remedies (carcinosin, phytolacca, conium and thuja) against two human breast adenocarcinoma cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and a cell line derived from immortalized normal human mammary epithelial cells (HMLE); observes that the remedies exerted preferential cytotoxic effects against the two breast cancer cell lines, causing cell cycle delay\/arrest and apoptosis; believes that the findings demonstrate biological activity of these natural products when presented at ultra-diluted doses; and calls for further research in this important area.","date":"2010-06-21","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41196","proposer":"24742","edm":"273","session":"2010-12","title":"North Tees And Hartlepool University Hospitals","text":"That this House calls for an immediate review of the decision to cancel the planned new hospital to replace the North Tees and Hartlepool University hospitals; recognises the tremendous progress in closing the gap in health inequalities in the North East in recent years; and believes that the new hospital would provide the kind of facilities needed to close the gap even further and maintain high quality health services in the area.","date":"2010-06-17","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41198","proposer":"24891","edm":"275","session":"2010-12","title":"Ketamine","text":"That this House recognises the danger posed by the illegal recreational use of ketamine; deplores the harm it can cause to those who use it; seeks to raise awareness of the damage it causes to users and to their families and communities; calls for consideration to be given to the length of sentences for those who illegally deal the drug; and further calls for consideration to be given to possible actions to further prevent and restrict its illegal use.","date":"2010-06-17","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41169","proposer":"11667","edm":"246","session":"2010-12","title":"Working Carers","text":"That this House celebrates the valuable role performed by over six million carers in the UK, in the majority of cases without any financial recognition from the public purse, saving the country an estimated \u00a387 billion per year; congratulates Carers UK for the valuable work it does in supporting carers and highlighting their needs during Carers Week; further congratulates the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers for its continued campaigning for a better deal for working carers; recognises that many carers need to work to make ends meet because Carer's Allowance only pays \u00a353.90 a week for a minimum of 35 hours caring; urges the Government to match the commitment of the 2008 National Carers Strategy to ensure that carers are not forced into financial hardship by their caring role and to support the recommendation of the Work and Pensions Select Committee 2008 report that `DWP should support adults who become carers during their working lives to combine work and care'; and therefore calls on the Government to remove the disincentive to work represented by the cliff-edge earnings threshold of \u00a397 per week that prevents many carers from working at all and stops those in work from fulfilling their full working potential.","date":"2010-06-16","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41180","proposer":"11427","edm":"257","session":"2010-12","title":"Muscular Dystrophy Campaign Report On The Case For Effective Wheelchair Services","text":"That this House welcomes the publication of a new report by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign on the provision of powered wheelchairs; recognises that specialist wheelchairs can be vital for people with neuromuscular conditions as they can improve quality of life, alleviate pain and slow the progression of the condition; notes that too many children and adults with muscle disease in England are waiting years to receive wheelchairs; is concerned that there is considerable variation across the country in waiting times for wheelchairs, resulting in a postcode lottery for families affected by muscle disease; further notes that many people with muscular dystrophy are denied the most appropriate wheelchairs or are forced to pay for the equipment out of their own pocket; calls on the Government to ensure a ring-fenced budget for electric wheelchairs; urges the Government to establish a national strategy for wheelchairs with a uniform eligibility criteria and a clear, comprehensive target for waiting times; and commends the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign for bringing this critical issue to the attention of the House.","date":"2010-06-16","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41151","proposer":"10023","edm":"227","session":"2010-12","title":"G8 Summit And Child Maternal Health","text":"That this House welcomes the Prime Minister's announcement that the Government will prioritise maternal health at the forthcoming G8 summit, but wishes to ensure that attention to the survival of children under five years old goes hand-in-hand with initiatives on maternal health; and calls on donor governments like the UK to judge the success of their development policies by their impact in lowering maternal and child mortality rates and to promote strategies that do so.","date":"2010-06-15","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41155","proposer":"10431","edm":"231","session":"2010-12","title":"National Eye Health Week 2010","text":"That this House notes that 14 to 19 June 2010 is the UK's first ever National Eye Health Week; further notes that at least 50 per cent. of sight loss is preventable and that early detection through regular eye tests is a simple and practical way to maintain good eye health; and congratulates the organisations involved in Eye Health Week in bringing to the nation's attention the importance of regular sight tests for good eye health and prevention of sight loss.","date":"2010-06-15","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41123","proposer":"24809","edm":"200","session":"2010-12","title":"Mileage Rate For Volunteer Drivers","text":"That this House recommends HM Revenue and Customs revisit the 40 pence per mile rate which volunteer drivers are reimbursed for using their own cars with a view to raising the maximum limit; recognises that the rate was set in 2002 when fuel was less costly; and further recognises the impact there would be on the NHS if voluntary car drivers felt they could no longer afford to contribute in this way.","date":"2010-06-10","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41125","proposer":"10219","edm":"202","session":"2010-12","title":"Neuromuscular Services In The London Region","text":"That this House calls on the NHS London Specialised Commissioning Group to carry out an in-depth review of specialised neuromuscular services in the region; notes that there are almost 9,000 people living in the London NHS region affected by muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions; further notes that the London Muscle Group, a coalition of local families, health professionals and experts in these conditions supported by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign is backing calls for a review; further notes that eight of the 10 English NHS regions have either completed or are currently conducting a review; is concerned that there is only one Neuromuscular Care Adviser in the London region providing invaluable support to families living with these rare and very rare conditions; further notes that neuromuscular care advisers provide cost-effective care by helping to save consultant time and, as part of a multidisciplinary team, help to prevent expensive and traumatic emergency hospital admissions for this group of patients; and calls on the Government to urge the Specialised Commissioning Group to follow the lead of other regions and embark on a review to ensure that all families living with muscle disease in London have access to specialist multidisciplinary care which improves quality of life and increases life expectancy.","date":"2010-06-10","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41129","proposer":"11427","edm":"206","session":"2010-12","title":"Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy","text":"That this House commends the work of charity Action Duchenne in highlighting the need to deliver care levels that will extend by up to 15 years the lives of children living with the severe muscle-wasting disease Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy; endorses the recently agreed International Standards of Care guidelines for Duchenne published in the Lancet Neurology in March 2010; supports Duchenne families who are calling on the Government to ensure that levels of care for these vulnerable children are not cut in the forthcoming spending review; believes that recommendations in the new guidelines for multi-disciplinary care for Duchenne patients should be implemented for all, irrespective of where they live; and further believes that further funding should be made available to continue research and development of new medicines to cure this devastating condition.","date":"2010-06-10","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41097","proposer":"10753","edm":"174","session":"2010-12","title":"Opt-Out Organ Donation","text":"That this House recognises that more than 10,000 people in the UK are awaiting a transplant; notes that there is a shortage of organ donors and that an opt-out system could potentially have provided over 2,800 extra donors in the last 10 years; further recognises that the Welsh Assembly Government and the Kidney Wales Foundation are in favour of a policy of opt-out organ donation in Wales; and believes that this system would save even more lives if extended to the rest of the UK.","date":"2010-06-08","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41109","proposer":"24892","edm":"186","session":"2010-12","title":"Summary Care Records","text":"That this House welcomes the coalition Government's commitment to give patients control of their health records; considers that any decision to continue to allow updating of patients' details to the Summary Care Record (SCR) System is inconsistent with this commitment; and calls on the Government to halt all SCR updates, effective immediately, pending its promised comprehensive review of NHS IT systems.","date":"2010-06-08","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41077","proposer":"24784","edm":"158","session":"2010-12","title":"40th Anniversary Of Harlow Hospital Radio","text":"That this House celebrates the 40th anniversary of Harlow Hospital Radio; welcomes its thriving and diverse programme, run solely by volunteers; congratulates the volunteers and staff of Princess Alexandra Hospital for their creativity and hard work over the decades; and calls on the Government to recognise that hospital radio stations are a vital lifeline for patients across the UK and should be applauded for the work they do.","date":"2010-06-07","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41065","proposer":"10282","edm":"146","session":"2010-12","title":"Food Supplements Directive","text":"That this House notes the setting of maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements under the provisions of Article 5 of the Food Supplements Directive remains work in progress on the part of the European Commission; observes that millions of United Kingdom consumers have registered with their Members of Parliament their deep concern about the threat to the continued availability of many safe and popular higher potency supplements; further notes that industry has calculated that a restrictive interpretation of the legislation could lead to the closure of 700 health food stores and the loss of 4,000 jobs in the sector; further notes that the policy of the Conservative Party in the run up to the General Election was firm opposition to this measure and that of the Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State was strong support for the freedom of consumers to choose; and looks to the Ministers of the new Coalition Government to honour the commitments of their parties and ensure that no food supplements are removed from the UK market as a result of this burdensome measure.","date":"2010-06-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41038","proposer":"10527","edm":"122","session":"2010-12","title":"Type 1 Diabetes Research","text":"That this House supports the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) in its campaign to increase awareness and understanding about type 1 diabetes; notes that type 1 and type 2 diabetes are very separate and distinct conditions; acknowledges that type 1 diabetes is a chronic, life-threatening auto immune condition and is not caused by eating sugary food, by being overweight or by lifestyle choices; further notes with concern that type 1 is a leading cause of kidney failure, adult blindness, stroke, heart attacks and nerve damage and that incidence of the condition is increasing by four per cent. year on year; further notes that approximately five per cent. of the entire NHS budget is spent on treating type 1 diabetes; recognises that JDRF is the world's leading charitable funder of type 1 diabetes research and the only organisation dedicated solely to finding the cure for type 1; and believes that more funding for medical research will lead to the development of better treatments for type 1 diabetes, resulting in fewer complications and hospitalisations, improve cost efficiencies for the NHS budget and lead to a cure.","date":"2010-06-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41042","proposer":"24872","edm":"126","session":"2010-12","title":"National Myeloma Awareness Week 2010","text":"That this House welcomes National Myeloma Awareness Week from 21 to 28 June 2010, which focuses on raising awareness of myeloma in primary care; further welcomes the recent Office for National Statistics' report showing that five year survival in myeloma is increasing at one of the fastest paces among all cancers; notes, however, that there is still much work to do to build on these significant improvements, particularly around achieving timely diagnosis and access to treatment; supports the TAKE 2 project of the Myeloma UK GP Pledge Campaign which this year aims to deliver the Myeloma Diagnosis Pathway to 4,000 more GPs across the UK and help reduce the likelihood of delays in diagnosis; recognises the importance of the Myeloma Diagnosis Pathway as a reference tool to raise awareness of the common signs and symptoms of myeloma and the steps to take if myeloma is suspected; encourages hon. Members to get involved in the TAKE 2 campaign and take a copy of the Myeloma Diagnosis Pathway with them the next time they have a GP appointment, encouraging their friends, family and colleagues to do the same; commends the progress of the National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative; and calls on the Government to work in collaboration with the myeloma community to develop and deliver key messages on myeloma for primary care.","date":"2010-06-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41044","proposer":"10274","edm":"128","session":"2010-12","title":"Carers","text":"That this House calls on the Government to make an early statement on its policy intentions toward carers; notes the selfless hard work and commitment displayed by the approximately six million carers in the UK; recognises the incalculable difference carers make to the lives of their loved ones; acknowledges that carers save the country an estimated \u00a387 billion each year; and supports an immediate review of the current carers allowance level.","date":"2010-06-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40997","proposer":"11923","edm":"82","session":"2010-12","title":"Gift Of Life Campaign","text":"That this House notes with great regret that only 19.5 per cent. of people in Cumbria, nearly 10 per cent. below the national average, are signed up to the organ donor register; expresses concern that there are currently 17 people waiting for organ transplants in South Lakeland; is alarmed that people can wait for up to two years for a lung transplant and more than three years for a kidney; praises the Gift of Life campaign launched by the Westmorland Gazette to tackle the huge shortage of organ donors in the region; and calls on local media outlets across the country to follow their example and help encourage more people to become organ donors by running their own Gift of Life campaign.","date":"2010-05-26","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41000","proposer":"24742","edm":"85","session":"2010-12","title":"Future Of The New Acute Hospital At Wynyard","text":"That this House expresses concern that speculation over the future of the new hospital at Wynyard is causing anxiety for staff, patients and the community; seeks an assurance from Government that the existing commitment to build a new acute general hospital at Wynyard to replace Hartlepool University and North Tees University Hospitals will be honoured; and recognises that the new facilities will help to address issues of health inequalities that are a feature of many communities within the catchment area.","date":"2010-05-26","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41002","proposer":"10436","edm":"87","session":"2010-12","title":"Dignity For All Campaign","text":"That this House welcomes the Dignity For All campaign to ensure that the highest possible standard of care is provided to the elderly in care homes across the UK; supports the claim by Jenny Loughran of the campaign that care staff are a vital resource who make a significant contribution to identifying shortcomings in the level of care being provided; and urges all hon. Members to pledge their support to the campaign and ensure that only the highest possible level of care is provided.","date":"2010-05-26","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41022","proposer":"10170","edm":"107","session":"2010-12","title":"Marie Stopes And China","text":"That this House notes that Marie Stopes International (MSI), the international abortion provider, listed as a charity, is held in such high regard by official bodies in the UK that it has been permitted to break the law and advertise abortion on national television; further notes it has received millions of pounds from the Government to carry out abortion programmes in China, where the one-child policy has caused untold suffering and misery to millions, including forced abortions and sterilisation with imprisonment for those fighting against the law; further notes as an example a 20-day campaign in April in Puning County, where 9,559 adults were required for compulsory sterilisation with doctors working 20 hours a day to achieve the numbers; further notes that some 1,300 people were confined by force because their relatives refused to submit to the surgery; further notes that Marie Stopes claims to disapprove of force and seeks to discourage it, yet gave a red-carpet welcome in their London headquarters to Ms Lin Bin, Minister of China's National Population and Family Planning Commission, which is responsible for the one-child policy and its implementation; further notes that although MSI sought and achieved enormous publicity for its television advertising it was strangely silent regarding the visit of their honoured guest; further notes this was exposed by Tibet Truth, a human rights organisation protesting about the barbarities inflicted on the people of China and Tibet; and calls on the Government to withdraw its funds from MSI and to take steps to require the cancellation of its television advertising.","date":"2010-05-26","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"41024","proposer":"10170","edm":"109","session":"2010-12","title":"Marie Stopes And Abortion Advertisements","text":"That this House notes the television abortion advertising campaign on Channel 4 by Marie Stopes International (MSI); is seriously concerned that it breaches the law banning advertisements on the availability of medical procedures and requires that advertising must not be harmful or offensive; asserts that it is reminiscent of international family-planning group tactics in poor countries where for decades workers have been advised that they must break the law to change the law; challenges the claims of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that MSI is not advertising abortion, but offering only counselling and providing information; calls on the ASA to note that MSI is one of the two biggest providers of abortion in the world and has an income of tens of millions of pounds per annum derived entirely from abortion; further notes that the group charges \u00a380 for counselling whether by telephone (which requires bankcard details) or face to face; further notes that MSI counselling always includes telling clients when they can attend a Marie Stopes clinic to have their abortions; recalls that for a number of years the Royal College of Psychiatrists has urged that women considering abortion should be given independent counselling because of possible psychiatric trauma; further notes that MSI depends for its income on clients having abortions and is therefore not independent; and calls on the Government to hold an advertising campaign to discover women who as a result of MSI counselling have had their babies or who are suffering from post-abortion trauma.","date":"2010-05-26","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40921","proposer":"11707","edm":"7","session":"2010-12","title":"National Institute For Health And Clinical Excellence Ruling On Azacitidine","text":"That this House notes that patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) suffer from chronic and severe fatigue and are at risk of progressing to a more aggressive form of leukaemia (acute myeloid leukaemia); observes that the drug azacitidine is the first and only licensed drug available specifically to treat MDS and has the ability both to slow the progress of the disease and immeasurably improve patients' quality of life; is disappointed at the recent National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommendation that azacitidine is not sufficiently cost-effective; recognises that as few as 700 patients would require the drug each year, which translates to a diminutive portion of the NHS budget; and calls on NICE to reconsider its recommendation on use of the drug which is already widely available in other Western European and North American countries.","date":"2010-05-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40923","proposer":"11707","edm":"9","session":"2010-12","title":"Marie Curie Cancer Care Nurses","text":"That this House applauds Marie Curie Cancer Care nurses for the outstanding support they provide to terminally ill cancer patients and their families and those with other terminal illnesses at the end of their lives, allowing them to live out their final days surrounded by the people they love in their place of choice; recognises that such care can dramatically improve patients' quality of life; notes that 65 per cent. of people would wish to be cared for at home if they were terminally ill, yet only around 18 per cent. of people are able to die at home; further notes that caring for terminally ill patients in their homes does not increase the cost to the NHS; and calls on NHS trusts to guarantee funding for home-based palliative care.","date":"2010-05-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40928","proposer":"10023","edm":"14","session":"2010-12","title":"Carers Week 2010","text":"That this House expresses its respect for the six million people of all ages in the UK who provide unpaid help, care and support to a relative or friend who, because of frailty, illness or disability, would not otherwise be able to manage; notes that despite the huge contribution carers make to society, many carers continue to remain unsupported in their caring roles without the chance of a break or respite; is concerned that many carers are hidden, unheard and unable to access relevant and practical advice, information and services; further notes that Carers Week, a partnership of national charities, takes place this year from 14 to 20 June, with the theme A life of my own; and believes that without significant reform of the care and support system carers will not be able to access support at times of crisis, will not be able to work, which has a lasting impact on the economy, and will not have the chance of a life of their own that they deserve.","date":"2010-05-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40937","proposer":"10521","edm":"23","session":"2010-12","title":"Cystic Fibrosis And Prescription Charges","text":"That this House believes that people with cystic fibrosis should not have to pay prescription charges.","date":"2010-05-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40942","proposer":"10521","edm":"28","session":"2010-12","title":"Creating A Healthier UK Campaign","text":"That this House welcomes the Instiute of Occupational Safety and Health's new manifesto, titled Creating a Healthier UK plc, promoting a sensible and forward-thinking approach to improving the nation's health and wellbeing; and calls on the Government and all political parties to co-operate with the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and others to effect appropriate changes and to help the UK create a risk-intelligent society.","date":"2010-05-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40950","proposer":"10527","edm":"36","session":"2010-12","title":"Access To Inhaled Insulin Products For Diabetics","text":"That this House disagrees with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's technology appraisal document which proposes the restriction of access to inhaled insulin products on the NHS to patients with a proven injection phobia diagnosed by a psychiatrist or psychologist; is concerned that diabetes sufferers often delay treatment for as long as four years due to a fear of injections, risking the complications of heart disease, blindness and kidney failure, a situation that will only be compounded by attaching the unfortunate stigma of mental illness to those with a phobia of needles; expresses concern at the additional workload that will be placed on already overstretched NHS psychiatric services; and believes that the judgement of expert clinicians should be trusted in managing each individual patient's condition.","date":"2010-05-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40952","proposer":"10009","edm":"38","session":"2010-12","title":"One Child Policy In China","text":"That this House notes recent reports that 21 foetuses and baby bodies were discarded in the Guangfu River, Jining City, China; further notes that the one child policy in China limits most couples to one child; further notes with concern increasing evidence, including from official sources, that the Chinese authorities continue to employ compulsory abortion and sterilisation as an official policy; and calls on the government of China to cease coercive measures, including forced abortion and sterilisation.","date":"2010-05-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40991","proposer":"10298","edm":"77","session":"2010-12","title":"Sherburn Gps' Surgery","text":"That this House notes with concern that the surgery of Dr Carrie and partners in Sherburn, North Yorkshire, which serves 3,000 patients over 300 square miles between Malton and Flixton, has for seven years been seeking funding to improve its premises and move from the converted house which was satisfactory for use as a doctors' surgery 20 years ago but has now completely outgrown its purpose and has no proper disabled access or facilities; commends the four GPs, Dr Donald Carrie, Dr Andrew Kempston, Dr Sue Thornton, and Dr Jackie Caine for their commitment and service to the community over many years and their efforts to obtain the funding needed for new or improved premises; regrets that the North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust has now decided that despite all the work done over the years to provide better premises there is no funding to take forward the development plans; asks the relevant health authorities to reconsider their decisions, taking into account the savings of 500,000 per year which the practice calculates new premises could achieve; and believes that the towns and villages of this rural part of North Yorkshire urgently need GP premises where doctors can have their own rooms in which to see patients and where receptionists do not have to sort out patient notes on the floor.","date":"2010-05-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40893","proposer":"10436","edm":"1231","session":"2009-10","title":"Dignity For All Campaign","text":"That this House welcomes the Dignity For All campaign to ensure that the highest possible standard of care is provided to the elderly in care homes across the UK; supports the claim by Jenny Loughran of the campaign that care staff are a vital resource who make a significant contribution to identifying shortcomings in the level of care being provided; and urges all hon. Members to pledge their support to the campaign and ensure that only the highest possible level of care is provided.","date":"2010-04-06","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40900","proposer":"10009","edm":"1238","session":"2009-10","title":"One Child Policy In China","text":"That this House notes recent reports that 21 foetuses and baby bodies were discarded in the Guangfu River, Jining City, China; further notes that the one child policy in China limits most couples to one child; further notes with concern increasing evidence, including from official sources, that Chinese authorities continue to employ compulsory abortion and sterilisation as an official policy; and calls on the government of China to cease coercive measures, including forced abortion and sterilisation.","date":"2010-04-06","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40876","proposer":"11707","edm":"1216","session":"2009-10","title":"Marie Curie Cancer Care Nurses","text":"That this House applauds Marie Curie Cancer Care nurses for the outstanding support they provide to terminally ill cancer patients and their families and those with other terminal illnesses at the end of their lives, allowing them to live out their final days surrounded by the people they love in their place of choice; recognises that such care can dramatically improve patients' quality of life; notes that 65 per cent. of people would wish to be cared for at home if they were terminally ill, yet only around 18 per cent. of people are able to die at home; further notes that caring for terminally ill patients in their homes does not increase the cost to the NHS; and calls on NHS trusts to guarantee funding for home-based palliative care.","date":"2010-03-30","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40888","proposer":"10128","edm":"1228","session":"2009-10","title":"Hospital Radio Awards","text":"That this House congratulates the recent winners of the Hospital Radio Awards, Hospital Radios Chelmsford, Plymouth, Basingstoke, Northern Air, HWD, Wey, Reading, Perth, Grampian, Sunshine, Radio Northwick Park, Rookwood Sound, Radio Grapevine, Victoria Radio Network, Radio Cherwell, Radio West Middlesex, Castlemead Radio and Voice Radio; pays tribute to the thousands of volunteers who bring music, chat and laughter to patients in hospital; recognises the valuable service provided by the Hospital Broadcasting Association in supporting that voluntary work; and congratulates PPL who have funded the Hospital Radio Awards for over a decade.","date":"2010-03-30","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40805","proposer":"10063","edm":"1163","session":"2009-10","title":"Campaign For A Statutory Duty Of Candour In Healthcare","text":"That this House notes that the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009 were introduced without debate and included a statutory duty to report serious patient safety incidents to the National Patient Safety Agency but no corresponding duty to be open and honest with patients or their families about the same incident; and calls for the introduction of a statutory duty of candour with patients and relatives.","date":"2010-03-23","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40806","proposer":"10602","edm":"1164","session":"2009-10","title":"Homeopathy In India","text":"That this House notes that the Science and Technology Committee's Evidence Check on Homeopathy report failed to take note that, in India, homeopathy can be traced back as early as 1810 and is an integral part of the health system; recognises that the homeopathic hospitals in Calcutta were famous for the treatment of intractable diseases and were successful in controlling epidemics like cholera; observes that India has over 180 colleges teaching homeopathic medicine and over 300,000 homeopathic practitioners; further notes that homeopathy has gained substantial governmental patronage and has a vast infrastructure and is one of the medical systems recognised by the Government of India; welcomes the fact that in 2002 a new National Policy on Indian Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy led to the establishment in 2003 of a Department of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, Yoga and Naturopathy and Homeopathy (AYUSH); and calls on the Government to look at the experiences of other countries when formulating health policy in the UK.","date":"2010-03-23","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40807","proposer":"10602","edm":"1165","session":"2009-10","title":"Homeopathy In France","text":"That this House notes that the Science and Technology Committee's Evidence Check on Homeopathy report failed to take note of homeopathy's widespread use in France; further notes that around a third of the French population use homeopathic medicine; further notes that almost all French pharmacies dispense homeopathic remedies and its use is covered by state social security; observes that in 2004 62 per cent. of French mothers used homeopathic medicines in the previous 12 months and that a survey of French pharmacists in 2004 found that 94.5 per cent. reported advising pregnant women to use homeopathic medicines; further observes that 70 per cent. of doctors are receptive to homeopathy and consider it effective and that at least 25,000 doctors prescribe homeopathic medicines for their patients; acknowledges that homeopathy is taught in at least seven medical schools, namely Besancon, Bordeaux, Lille, Limoges, Marseille, Paris-Nord, and Poitiers, and that courses in homeopathy are taught in 21 of France's 24 schools of pharmacy, two dental schools, two veterinary medical schools, and three schools of midwifery; and calls on the Government to look at the experiences of other countries when formulating health policy in the UK.","date":"2010-03-23","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40795","proposer":"10009","edm":"1153","session":"2009-10","title":"Tendering Requirements For Endoscopy Products","text":"That this House notes with concern the current tendering requirements for endoscopy products; acknowledges that the framework contract for endoscopy products, established by NHS Supply Chain in early 2008, allows trusts to draw from the limited list of suppliers of endoscopy products through mini-competitions, thus significantly reducing procurement times and ensuring value for money for the NHS; regrets that partly because of the preference of some NHS staff for endoscopy products from more established brands of the same quality, many NHS trusts fail to call off such mini-competitions and instead opt to apply the terms of the framework itself without making a thorough value for money assessment; believes that NHS trusts should follow the Department of Health's guidance and ensure that competition is enforced in tenders in accordance with its commercial operating model; and calls on the Department of Health, NHS Supply Chain and strategic health authorities to ensure that NHS trusts are encouraged to always run mini-competitions when tendering for endoscopy products, thus ensuring proper value-for-money for the NHS and the taxpayer.","date":"2010-03-22","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40768","proposer":"10023","edm":"1126","session":"2009-10","title":"Carers (No. 2)","text":"That this House notes with concern research by the Princess Royal Trust for Carers and Crossroads Care, which has found that, of the \u00a3100 million the Government has committed through the NHS to provide support for carers in 2010-11, only 26 per cent. is planned to be spent by primary care trusts to increase support for carers and alarmingly that approximately one quarter of primary care trusts in England are planning to reduce spending on carers' services; and calls on the Government to take immediate action.","date":"2010-03-17","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40735","proposer":"10571","edm":"1100","session":"2009-10","title":"Self Care","text":"That this House congratulates the Self Care Campaign on the launch of its manifesto on 16 March 2010, seeking to increase the number of people with minor ailments who opt for self care; recognises the important role self care can play in the treatment of minor ailments; acknowledges that as well as providing more timely care, which benefits the patient, self care would take significant pressure off GPs; notes recent research by the Proprietary Association of Great Britain that found that many patients begin to self care, but too many abandon this approach in favour of visiting their GP; acknowledges that minor ailments account for 18 per cent. of GP consultations; is concerned that these appointments cost the NHS \u00a32 billion a year; believes that helping people to strengthen their ability to self care, through increasing patient confidence and independence in their behaviour will lead to an increase in the number of people self caring for minor ailments and using NHS resources effectively; and calls on the Government to support the Self Care Campaign, which is already backed by leading health professionals and patient representatives.","date":"2010-03-16","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40749","proposer":"11245","edm":"1114","session":"2009-10","title":"Nhs Dental Care","text":"That this House deplores the practice of rationing NHS dental health care by primary care trusts by stopping treatment when funding allocation has been used in any year; notes with concern that resources and funding for dental health are not being allocated to meet demand; further notes that despite the assurances of patient choice in the NHS, taxpayers are increasingly limited in their choice of dental services; and calls on the Government to allocate resources according to demand and allow patients to choose their dentist.","date":"2010-03-16","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40707","proposer":"11377","edm":"1072","session":"2009-10","title":"World Tuberculosis Day","text":"That this House recognises the importance of World Tuberculosis Day on 24 March 2010; notes with concern the continued rise in tuberculosis (TB) cases globally, resulting in nearly 5,000 deaths a day and the increase of TB in the UK, particularly among vulnerable, marginalised populations; further notes that TB-HIV co-infection and TB drug resistance is fuelling the epidemic; and calls on the Government to ensure the maximum effectiveness is achieved through its efforts in the UK and overseas to combat this preventable and curable disease.","date":"2010-03-11","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40693","proposer":"10614","edm":"1061","session":"2009-10","title":"Leicester Hospitals Ward Closures","text":"That this House notes with concern that nine wards are due to close at Leicester hospitals; believes that two wards will merge at the beginning of April 2010 at Leicester General Hospital, with the following wards closing shortly after; is further concerned that the capacity and ability to deal with patients may be affected negatively by the removal of approximately 250 beds; recognises that much of the Leicester East and wider Leicester community utilise Leicester General Hospital's wards; and calls on the Secretary of State for Health to ensure that the importance of high standards of hospital care is taken into account when deciding how best to adapt to the needs of patients.","date":"2010-03-10","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40696","proposer":"10261","edm":"1064","session":"2009-10","title":"World Kidney Day 2010","text":"That this House welcomes World Kidney Day 2010 which raises awareness of kidney disease among the general population and seeks to publicise the link between kidney disease and diabetes; is alarmed that kidney disease is common and increasing; notes that diabetic kidney disease remains the single most common cause of renal failure; further notes that kidney failure and diabetes can lead to an elevated risk of heart disease; further welcomes the introduction of the NHS Health Check which supports the early detection of kidney disease; urges the Government to build upon these measures through a public health campaign highlighting the importance of kidneys; applauds the efforts of kidney patients, their families and friends, clinicians and healthcare professionals who have worked hard to highlight the issues associated with kidney disease and spread the important message of World Kidney Day; expresses its concern that an estimated 13,000 people die from kidney disease annually in this country; further notes that in the UK numbers of adults receiving dialysis treatment for kidney failure is increasing every year by eight per cent.; strongly believes that patient choice is the key to ensuring the best possible quality of life for patients; and calls on the Government to investigate ways by which to improve levels of patient choice in renal services.","date":"2010-03-10","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40697","proposer":"10018","edm":"1065","session":"2009-10","title":"Clinical Physiologists","text":"That this House welcomes the valuable contribution that clinical physiologists make to patient care in the NHS; notes the importance of clinical physiologists in developing and delivering a wide range of sensitive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures directly to patients in the disciplines of audiology, cardiology, gastrointestinal physiology, neurophysiology and respiratory physiology; acknowledges the significant impact these procedures can have on patient safety if delivered by those unfit to practise; notes with concern that despite the Health Professions Council's recommendation in 2004 that clinical physiologists should be statutorily regulated, statutory regulation is still not in place; recognises the value of the current voluntary register which has been compiled and administered by the Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists, but believes that voluntary registration does not provide patients with enough protection against a small minority who are unfit to practise; welcomes the commitment by the Department of Health to have a statutory regulation in place by 2011; and calls on the Department of Health, as well as its counterparts in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure that there are no unnecessary delays in the process towards statutory regulation, particularly in the context of Modernising Scientific Careers and the ongoing revision of career and educational pathways for the wider healthcare science workforce which clinical physiologists are part of and in the context of protecting patient safety.","date":"2010-03-10","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40660","proposer":"13934","edm":"1034","session":"2009-10","title":"Ealing Hospital","text":"That this House recognises that Ealing Hospital is an essential asset to healthcare in North West London; notes that Ealing Hospital receives into its accident and emergency department alone approximately 100,000 patients annually and offers accessible services including maternity, children's services, adult acute services in medicine and surgery and more; is very concerned to hear talk of a threat to any of Ealing Hospital's major services including to its accident and emergency services, thereby reducing the viability of Ealing Hospital's continued existence as a separate institution and of its services to local people in Ealing and Southall; and calls on NHS London to ensure the continued existence of Ealing Hospital and its current acute services.","date":"2010-03-08","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40667","proposer":"11245","edm":"1020A1","session":"2009-10","title":"Birth Defects In Fallujah","text":"after second `that', insert `Saddam Hussein used chemical weapons in this area, and that'.","date":"2010-03-08","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40668","proposer":"11245","edm":"1020A2","session":"2009-10","title":"Birth Defects In Fallujah","text":"leave out from `defects;' to end.","date":"2010-03-08","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40634","proposer":"10013","edm":"1008","session":"2009-10","title":"Brain Cancer","text":"That this House recognises that one in five of all cancers spread to the brain; notes that the number of children dying from a brain tumour in 2007 was 33 per cent. higher than in 2001; further notes that five-year survival rates for brain cancer are low relative to most other cancers; and calls for brain tumour research to receive greater cancer funding from Government than the 0.7 per cent. of all cancer funding that it currently receives.","date":"2010-03-04","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40638","proposer":"11494","edm":"1012","session":"2009-10","title":"Surgeons' Working Hours","text":"That this House calls for the removal of the constraints on surgeons' working hours to a maximum of 48 hours per week imposed by the European Working Time Directive; notes the findings of a recent survey by the Royal College of Surgeons which shows that with current staffing levels it is impossible to implement a 48 hour working week and maintain good service delivery and that the new hours have led to an increase in handovers with doctors unable to follow their patient throughout surgical treatment and that the shift system for a 48 hour working week is significantly more tiring than the on-call system it replaced; and calls for an opt-out of the European Working Time Directive for surgeons and for surgeons in training to allow them to extend their working hours to a maximum of 65 hours per week, with appropriate rest breaks, so that hospitals are safely staffed to provide high quality care and continuity of care for all patients.","date":"2010-03-04","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40646","proposer":"10123","edm":"1020","session":"2009-10","title":"Birth Defects In Fallujah","text":"That this House notes the deeply disturbing report of BBC correspondent John Simpson indicating the high numbers of children being born with serious defects in the Iraqi town of Fallujah; further notes that the report says that those born with congenital heart defects is 13 times the rate found in Europe, that other babies have been born with limb loss or distortion, paralysis or brain damage, and that officials in the town have warned women that they should not have babies; further notes that during the US onslaught on Fallujah, white phosphorus and depleted uranium weapons were amongst those used, and also that after the fighting was over, rubble from the town was bulldozed into the river, polluting water supplies; further notes that there has not been a proper independent inquiry by medical experts to establish the cause of these birth defects; and considers that this consequence of this US military action makes it a human rights atrocity.","date":"2010-03-04","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40620","proposer":"10527","edm":"998","session":"2009-10","title":"Diabetes UK Improving Lives Campaign","text":"That this House welcomes the Diabetes UK campaign Improving Lives; regrets that more than 2.5 million people in the UK have diabetes; further regrets that up to 500,000 people have Type 2 diabetes but do not know it; notes with concern that one person in the UK is diagnosed with diabetes every three minutes and that by 2025 it is estimated that over four million people will have diabetes; acknowledges that diabetes is one of the biggest health challenges facing the UK today which, including the treatment of serious complications, costs the NHS 10 per cent. of its annual resources; and urges hon. Members seeking re-election in 2010 to support the Improving Lives campaign and the important issues it highlights.","date":"2010-03-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40621","proposer":"10780","edm":"999","session":"2009-10","title":"Ms Awareness Week","text":"That this House notes the forthcoming MS Awareness Week between 26 April and 2 May 2010; acknowledges that about 100,000 people throughout the UK are affected by the condition and that in some regions of the UK, such as the north coast of Northern Ireland, instances are among the highest throughout the country; and pays tribute to branches of the MS Society in Northern Ireland which have been lobbying elected representatives for more access to physiotherapy for people with MS given the benefits such treatment provides for sufferers.","date":"2010-03-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40591","proposer":"10171","edm":"971","session":"2009-10","title":"Criminal Records Bureau Checks On Nhs Surgeons","text":"That this House shares the concern of the Royal College of Surgeons that NHS surgeons who have received enhanced clearance from the Criminal Records Bureau to treat child patients at their own NHS trust are being required by some other trusts to repeat the time-consuming Criminal Records Bureau checking process before being allowed to treat children at other hospitals, with consequent substantial delays in operations on children in need of specialist attention; and calls on the Secretary of State for Health to issue clear and binding instructions to trusts to end this practice immediately.","date":"2010-03-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40598","proposer":"10261","edm":"978","session":"2009-10","title":"International Rare Disease Day","text":"That this House welcomes the third International Rare Disease Day on 28 February 2010; notes that there are over 6,000 rare diseases, affecting approximately 3.5 million people in the UK; supports the focus of this year's Rare Disease Day on the importance of research into rare diseases for the millions of patients without a cure; believes that rare diseases should be seen as a public health priority; and joins Rare Disease UK in calling on the Government to act on its commitment to a strategy for rare diseases as demonstrated by the adoption of the European Council Recommendation on action for rare diseases in June 2009.","date":"2010-03-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40610","proposer":"10282","edm":"990","session":"2009-10","title":"Save Our Supplements Campaign","text":"That this House is proud to support Consumers for Health Choice (CHC) in its Save our Supplements, Time is Running Out campaign; salutes the persistent work of the CHC over many years in keeping the future availability of the humble vitamin pill high upon the political and parliamentary agenda; reaffirms its determination to defend the right of British consumers to have continued access to safe and proper food supplements of their choice; and urges the European Commission in the strongest possible terms to abandon plans for the imposition of maximum permitted levels for nutrients in food supplements which are already accepted as safe and appropriately labelled by the Food Standards Agency and which have a history of safe use, by millions of consumers, over many decades.","date":"2010-03-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40585","proposer":"11245","edm":"965","session":"2009-10","title":"Diabetes UK Recommendations","text":"That this House notes with concern that diabetes is one of the biggest health challenges facing the UK today and now costs the NHS 10 per cent. of its resources; further notes with concern that every three minutes one person in the UK is diagnosed with diabetes; congratulates Diabetes UK on its Get Serious campaign which recommends prioritising action to solve day-to-day problems facing people living with diabetes; and calls on the Government and Her Majesty's Opposition to commit to acting on Diabetes UK's recommendations.","date":"2010-03-01","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40559","proposer":"10218","edm":"940","session":"2009-10","title":"London Nhs Reports And Strategic Documents","text":"That this House notes with alarm the series of recent published and leaked reports from NHS London that propose unprecedented cutbacks in NHS services across London; further notes that the Health for North East London Pre-consultation Business Case published in November 2009 details plans to cut more than 800 hospital beds, to provide a \u00a36 million allocation for staff redundancies and to reduce hospital budgets by \u00a3500 million by 2017; further notes that plans leaked to the BBC on 10 February 2010 detail the reduction of accident and emergency services to just three major centres across the whole of North West London; further notes that leaks from South West London NHS and South East London NHS point to similar drastic cutbacks and closures; and therefore demands that the Government ensure that all relevant strategic documents and reports relating to the future of National Health Service provision across London are published forthwith, to allow proper public and parliamentary scrutiny of what is proposed.","date":"2010-02-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40560","proposer":"10218","edm":"941","session":"2009-10","title":"Mckinsey London Nhs Report","text":"That this House notes that NHS London has not yet published the report commissioned from US-based management consultants McKinsey which is believed to underpin NHS London's current crop of published and leaked proposals for swingeing reductions in NHS provision across London; believes that this report should be published immediately in full to allow public and parliamentary scrutiny of its conclusions; further believes that details of the full methodology, including time, staff resources, and information gathering, employed by McKinsey to produce said report should be made public; further believes that all NHS documents relating to the commissioning of the report should be published in full, including details of NHS costs incurred; and therefore calls on the Government to ensure this happens forthwith.","date":"2010-02-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40548","proposer":"10190","edm":"936","session":"2009-10","title":"Clitheroe Community Hospital","text":"That this House notes that East Lancashire NHS Primary Care Trust (PCT) made a pledge to expand Clitheroe Community Hospital on 29 January 2008; further notes that the agreed budget for the scheme was \u00a312 million for the building, that further monies were set aside for additional services and that work was due to commence in the summer of 2009; understands that on 6 May 2009 the proposal for a new \u00a315.5 million community hospital in Clitheroe was put before the NHS North West board meeting and approved subject to caveats; further understands that work began on time; is concerned that the renovation was stopped in November 2009 and has not continued since; notes that the PCT has said that the future of the hospital may be a matter for discussion at a board meeting in March 2010; and calls on the Government urgently to intervene to ensure that the new hospital goes ahead.","date":"2010-02-24","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40517","proposer":"10602","edm":"908","session":"2009-10","title":"Science And Technology Committee Report On Homeopathy","text":"That this House expresses concern at the conclusions of the Science and Technology Committee's Report, Evidence Check on Homeopathy; notes that the Committee took only oral evidence from a limited number of witnesses, including known critics of homeopathy Tracy Brown, the Managing Director of Sense About Science, and journalist Dr Ben Goldacre, who have no expertise in the subject; believes that evidence should have been heard from primary care trusts that commission homeopathy, doctors who use it in a primary care setting, and other relevant organisations, such as the Society of Homeopaths, to provide balance; observes that the Committee did not consider evidence from abroad from countries such as France and Germany, where provision of homeopathy is far more widespread than in the UK, or from India, where it is part of the health service; regrets that the Committee ignored the 74 randomised controlled trials comparing homeopathy with placebo, of which 63 showed homeopathic treatments were effective, and that the Committee recommends no further research; further notes that 206 hon. Members signed Early Day Motion No. 1240 in support of NHS homeopathic hospitals in Session 2006-07; and calls on the Government to maintain its policy of allowing decision-making on individual clinical interventions, including homeopathy, to remain in the hands of local NHS service providers and practitioners who are best placed to know their community's needs.","date":"2010-02-23","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40482","proposer":"10128","edm":"873","session":"2009-10","title":"Code Of Practice For Assistive Technology","text":"That this House welcomes the Office of Fair Trading's full approval of a consumer code of practice for the assistive technology and healthcare industry to be regulated by the British Healthcare Trades Association; and notes that each year 15 million people depend on assisted technology to enable a better quality of life and that the code will provide them with reassurance that products and services are of the highest value and will give consumers a robust method of complaint.","date":"2010-02-22","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40490","proposer":"10527","edm":"881","session":"2009-10","title":"Fuel Costs For Volunteer Drivers","text":"That this House recognises the vitally important work that many thousands of volunteer drivers undertake in taking patients to and from hospitals, GP surgeries and day centres; notes that the increasing cost of fuel is putting many of these services at risk as the fuel allowance for volunteer drivers remains at 40 pence per mile whilst the cost of fuel has escalated; further notes that nurses and other NHS staff have recently been awarded an increase in their fuel allowance; is concerned about the impact on local health services if volunteer drivers can no longer afford to help their communities; believes that primary care trusts and other trusts should compensate volunteer drivers for their increased fuel costs and bring increases in line with those granted to NHS staff; and calls on the Government to allow all increases for NHS staff and volunteers to be tax free to reflect the rising cost of fuel.","date":"2010-02-22","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40498","proposer":"10001","edm":"889","session":"2009-10","title":"Commercialisation Of Healthcare Provision","text":"That this House believes that for the NHS to provide high-quality, comprehensive healthcare for all, free at the point of use, it must be publicly-funded through central taxation, publicly provided and publicly accountable; is concerned about the damaging effects on our health service that commercialisation of the NHS is having through market reforms including the use of independent sector treatment centres, imposed GP-led health centres and polyclinics, the transforming community services initiative and expensive private finance initiative projects; further believes that public money should be used for quality healthcare and not profits for shareholders; further believes that the NHS should care for patients through co-operation and not competition; supports the British Medical Association's call to abandon the market in the NHS in England; and urges Government to restore the NHS as a public service working co-operatively for patients, not a market of commercial businesses competing with each other for financial gain.","date":"2010-02-22","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40425","proposer":"10677","edm":"825","session":"2009-10","title":"Neuromuscular Care In Hampshire","text":"That this House calls on NHS South Central Specialised Commissioning Group and the primary care trusts in Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton to use their specialist services budgets to provide a neuromuscular care adviser for the estimated 1,700 families living with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions in the region; recognises the invaluable support provided for families by this essential post; notes that neuromuscular care advisers provide cost-effective care by helping to save consultant time and, as part of a multidisciplinary team, help to prevent expensive and traumatic emergency hospital admissions for this group of patients; and further calls on the Government to urge regional NHS decision-makers to ensure that all families in Hampshire affected by these rare and very rare neuromuscular conditions have access to specialist multidisciplinary care which improves quality of life and improves life expectancy.","date":"2010-02-09","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40431","proposer":"10614","edm":"831","session":"2009-10","title":"Child Diabetes Care","text":"That this House notes with concern that an estimated 25,000 young people in the UK suffer from type 1 diabetes, a condition that is most often diagnosed between the ages of 10 and 14; further notes that one quarter of total hospital admissions for potentially fatal diabetic ketoacidosis involved children and young people under 18 years of age; further notes that the UK, with the highest levels of type 1 diabetes in Europe and the lowest number of children whose condition is well-controlled, needs more effective pediatric specialist diabetes teams; and calls on the Government to provide more information to facilitate early diagnosis and better access to care for children and their parents to help manage the condition properly.","date":"2010-02-09","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40419","proposer":"10437","edm":"819","session":"2009-10","title":"Association For Perioperative Practice","text":"That this House congratulates the Association for Perioperative Practice (AfPP) in its work to improve safety and dignity for patients undergoing surgery; thanks Hilda Mears and her family for the legacy bequeathed to the AfPP to help train theatre staff to improve patient safety and to explore why accidents in theatre happen, thereby reducing mishaps; further notes this legacy will provide funding for education to provide leadership skills and better communication to try and make the experience of going to theatre as good as it can be; and hopes the President, Diane Gilmour, continues this excellent work to improve the patient experience.","date":"2010-02-08","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40402","proposer":"10785","edm":"803","session":"2009-10","title":"Community Hospitals In Dumfries And Galloway","text":"That this House notes the contents of NHS Dumfries and Galloway's consultation document, Your NHS - Your Future Care; believes that the preferred option, which would result in the closure of Moffat, Langholm, Kirkcudbright, Lochmaben and Thornhill community hospitals, is widely unpopular with the respective local communities and fundamentally disregards the rural remoteness of parts of the region and the invaluable and high quality of care provided by these facilities; would welcome the involvement of other statutory bodies, private providers and voluntary organisations where necessary in the redevelopment of these hospitals; and hopes that NHS Dumfries and Galloway's preferred option for closures does not go ahead and, that these vital, locally-delivered community NHS services are redeveloped instead.","date":"2010-02-04","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40368","proposer":"11823","edm":"775","session":"2009-10","title":"Neuromuscular Care","text":"That this House calls on the NHS West Midlands Specialised Commissioning Group to accept and approve the clinician-endorsed neuromuscular strategy; notes that the strategy was commissioned and produced by the Group's own Specialised Commissioning Team with the input of patients and the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign; welcomes the recommendation to save up to \u00a36.6 million spent annually on unplanned emergency admissions for people living with rare and very rare muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions; expresses concern that clinicians estimate that patients who do not receive specialist neuromuscular care are 20 times more likely to have to be admitted to hospital as an emergency than those who receive timely preventative care; and calls on the Government to urge regional NHS decision-makers to take the action necessary to ensure that everyone living with neuromuscular conditions across the West Midlands has access to specialist multidisciplinary care.","date":"2010-02-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40325","proposer":"11923","edm":"734","session":"2009-10","title":"Heart Unit At Westmorland General Hospital","text":"That this House believes that patient safety in the South Lakes has been compromised by the removal of acute medical services from Westmorland General Hospital in August 2008; is deeply concerned that the journeys to hospital of seriously ill people are now often above an hour which puts those patients at risk; stands alongside the excellent ambulance staff whose work is made so much more difficult by the fact that they now have to spend longer on each patient to get them to hospital when they would otherwise have been ready to respond to the next emergency call; notes that the technology and practices at the excellent heart unit at Lancaster Royal Infirmary are no better than Westmorland General Hospital was able to provide up until August 2008; and calls for the reinstatement of a coronary care unit at the Westmorland General Hospital.","date":"2010-01-27","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40299","proposer":"10393","edm":"708","session":"2009-10","title":"Isle Of Man Nhs Reciprocal Health Agreement","text":"That this House calls on the Secretary of State for Health to defer the cancellation of the reciprocal health agreement with the Isle of Man planned for 1 April 2010 and to review the decision to abrogate the arrangement, a decision which will not only be unfair to residents of the Isle of Man but also substantially disadvantage United Kingdom residents and voters and in particular the elderly, the chronically disabled and motorbike enthusiasts; believes that Age Concern and all the major disability pressure groups and charities should be consulted as part of the review; asks that the review be at ministerial level with the Health Ministers of the Isle of Man, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales as well as the Justice Secretary, who has responsibility for the bilateral and constitutional relationships between the United Kingdom and Crown Dependencies; demands that the details and totality of the costs of the reciprocal agreement to both jurisdictions be published; seeks an explanation of the constitutional basis upon which the Secretary of State relies to abrogate the existing agreement on behalf of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales; and requests that the Secretary of State makes a statement on the modalities by which it is proposed to collect the costs of emergency admissions and hospitalisation in each jurisdiction if the existing agreement is terminated.","date":"2010-01-26","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40305","proposer":"10600","edm":"714","session":"2009-10","title":"Adult Autism Strategy","text":"That this House notes the imminent publication of the Adult Autism Strategy; further notes the importance of this Strategy for improving the lives of people with autism who routinely struggle to access the specialist services they need; commends the Government for agreeing to implement in full the recommendations made by the National Audit Office in its report Supporting people with autism through adulthood and by the Public Accounts Committee in its recent report on this subject; further notes that the Government has accepted the recommendations of both reports; and calls on the Government to fulfil its commitment and to ensure the delivery of an effective strategy and robust guidance that will result in significant change for people on the ground.","date":"2010-01-26","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40314","proposer":"11427","edm":"724","session":"2009-10","title":"Breast Cancer Screening In The North East","text":"That this House applauds the tremendous progress made in recent years to increase access to cancer screening and to prevent premature deaths; congratulates the Government and dedicated staff for the fact that cases of breast cancer picked up by screening have already doubled in the North East over the last decade, which should provide further assurance to women that breast checks are effective; notes that 95,605 women were screened in 2009 and 731 cases of cancer were detected of which 589 were invasive; and further notes that the current target age range is between 50 and 70 years old, but that the widening of the screening programme from April 2008 included those aged between 47 and 73 years, with full coverage expected in 2015.","date":"2010-01-26","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40291","proposer":"10240","edm":"701","session":"2009-10","title":"Ms Society","text":"That this House congratulates the MS Society on its campaign to uphold the rights of people living with multiple sclerosis, namely the right to quality health care including fair access to appropriate drugs and treatments, the right to personalised care and support, the right to wheelchairs and equipment to enable independent living and the right to support in and out of work, including support for carers; and commends the MS Society for its success in highlighting the impact of this unpredictable and incurable condition.","date":"2010-01-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40276","proposer":"10677","edm":"688","session":"2009-10","title":"Standards For Management Of Sexually Transmitted Infections","text":"That this House welcomes the new standards for the management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) produced by the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV and the Medical Foundation for AIDS and Sexual Health; supports their universal implementation across all STI services to ensure consistent and high quality care for the management of STIs; notes that through proper implementation, significant cost savings may be realised through the prevention of re-infection and reductions in onward transmission; and congratulates the leading professional groups for endorsing the standards and demonstrating the leadership required to embrace the challenges that are facing the NHS.","date":"2010-01-21","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40279","proposer":"11032","edm":"691","session":"2009-10","title":"Deaths At Gosport Hospital","text":"That this House supports the calls for a public inquiry made by the families of the more than 90 elderly patients who died in extraordinary and unexplained circumstances at Gosport War Memorial Hospital between 1990 and 2001; expresses its dismay that despite the fact that concerns were raised first in 1991, the issue still remains unresolved despite repeated investigations by the police, a highly critical report by the Commission for Health Improvement in 2002, 10 inquests and a disciplinary hearing by the General Medical Council; notes that serious questions have been raised by the families involved and in the media about the robustness of the inquiries by the police, General Medical Council and Nursing and Midwifery Council; further notes that the police refused to disclose evidence to the General Medical Council to facilitate consideration of whether steps should be taken to safeguard patients safety; calls on the Secretary of State for Health to work with the Secretary of State for Justice in convening an independent public inquiry, recognising that only a public examination with equivalent powers to the Shipman inquiry could satisfactorily consider the complex nature of the multiple deaths and satisfy the public interest in learning lessons about patient safety in such cases; believes that the establishment of an independent inquiry is consistent with the Government's commitment to putting the needs of victims and their relatives at the heart of the justice system; and further notes that the Portsmouth Coroner and relatives of the deceased have supported such a call.","date":"2010-01-21","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40250","proposer":"11489","edm":"661","session":"2009-10","title":"Autistic Spectrum Disorders","text":"That this House notes that in April 2008 Wales became the first country in the world to establish a cradle to grave national strategy for autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs); acknowledges that this has led to the development of local ASD leads within every authority area throughout Wales, a specialist ASD regional support team based in the Welsh Local Government Association, the publication of local ASD actions, extensive stakeholder engagement, the development of local and regional initiatives for autism, innovative research now completed into the needs of older persons with ASD living in Wales, and, through partnership with Autism Cymru and Autism Speaks, the appointment to Cardiff University of the first named professorial chair in Autism Research in the UK; and looks forward this year to the publication by the Welsh Assembly Government of the wide range of awareness-raising materials on autism for both practitioners and families which is being developed in collaboration with Autism Cymru, the National Autistic Society and others, and of the launch of the Welsh Autism Research Centre in Cardiff University.","date":"2010-01-20","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40251","proposer":"10295","edm":"662","session":"2009-10","title":"Nhs Charity Money","text":"That this House is concerned by HM Treasury plans to change the accounting system for NHS charitable money in April; believes the change is unnecessary and of no benefit to the NHS; notes the claim by the Charity Commission that it will amount to the nationalisation of charity money; fears the unintended consequence will be to discourage donations from the public to hospitals which add up annually to \u00a3330 million; and supports the campaign by The People newspaper to exempt NHS charitable giving from the new regulations.","date":"2010-01-20","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40210","proposer":"10080","edm":"626","session":"2009-10","title":"National Audit Office Report On The Implementation Of The National Dementia Strategy","text":"That this House notes that the report of the National Audit Office (NAO) on dementia services found that there has not been a robust approach to implementation of the National Dementia Strategy; is concerned that the NAO concludes that the strategy has not been given the levers or urgency necessary; further notes that there is a lack of joined-up, well-informed commissioning necessary to redirect the resources needed to pay for new dementia services; regrets the lack of progress on basic training of healthcare professionals; and calls on the Government to put in place urgently the mechanisms needed to bring about the large-scale transformation of dementia services that are desperately needed.","date":"2010-01-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40219","proposer":"10428","edm":"635","session":"2009-10","title":"Alimta And Treatment For Mesothelioma Sufferers","text":"That this House is aware that the anti-cancer drug Alimta is enormously beneficial in the treatment of mesothelioma tumours; recalls that sufferers in Scotland and parts of England and Wales have had access to the drug via cancer networks and primary care trusts; is therefore alarmed that the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has indicated that it is not minded to recommend Alimta for prescription to patients despite its known efficacy; and calls on the Government to ignore such advice, which deals mainly with NICE's narrow definition of cost effectiveness rather than the clinical needs of sufferers.","date":"2010-01-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40225","proposer":"10646","edm":"586A1","session":"2009-10","title":"Radiosurgery","text":"after `them', insert `unless such treatment was accessed privately overseas'.","date":"2010-01-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40192","proposer":"10027","edm":"612","session":"2009-10","title":"UK Vision Strategy","text":"That this House notes with concern that over two million people in the UK are at risk of needlessly losing their sight through treatable eye conditions; further notes that 100 people every day start to lose their sight, half of which could have been prevented; recognises that regular eye tests are the simplest way to reduce the number of people who lose their sight unnecessarily; observes that preventing vision loss maintains independence and reduces the financial cost of providing rehabilitation and support to those with serious visual impairment; and therefore calls on the Government to maintain its commitment to ensuring that the eye health of the nation is protected through the implementation of the UK Vision Strategy, which was developed to address the aim of the World Health Assembly VISION 2020 resolution to eradicate avoidable blindness by the year 2020 and to improve support and services for blind and partially-sighted people.","date":"2010-01-14","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40163","proposer":"10219","edm":"584","session":"2009-10","title":"King George Hospital, Ilford","text":"That this House expresses its strong opposition to the Health for North East London proposals to downgrade services at King George Hospital, Ilford which would close the Accident and Emergency department, end critical care support and acute surgical and medical treatment, children's surgery and maternity delivery in Ilford; notes that under these proposals the 264,000 residents of Redbridge would no longer have a local hospital in the borough; and therefore calls on Redbridge Council's Health Scrutiny Committee to reject these proposals and immediately refer the matter to the Secretary of State for Health.","date":"2010-01-13","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40165","proposer":"10294","edm":"586","session":"2009-10","title":"Radiosurgery","text":"That this House believes that high-precision radiosurgery can offer thousands of cancer patients a treatment pathway previously denied to them; recognises that the CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System is the first next generation technology that is able to treat tumours anywhere in the body, including primary cancer in the lung, prostate, spine and brain, and secondary tumours from breast and colon cancer, non-invasively with sub-millimetre accuracy; welcomes the fact that the CyberKnife, unlike conventional radiotherapy, is able to treat patients in three days instead of 30 days as a result of its accuracy and multiple beam angles; is concerned that there are currently 180 CyberKnife systems treating patients around the world, including four in Turkey and two in India, but none within the NHS; understands that a number of primary care trusts (PCTs) have authorised and paid for patients to be treated by the CyberKnife in the private sector in the UK and abroad, at a cost of \u00a322,000 and above; further understands that if it were available within the NHS the treatment cost would be approximately \u00a310,000 and that the continued unavailability of CyberKnife within the NHS makes little economic sense; calls on the NHS to approve the use of the CyberKnife system so that PCTs have sufficient guidance to install the technology; and urges the Government to define a radiosurgery tariff that takes into account CyberKnife's shorter treatment time, so that NHS patients will be able to benefit from access to this next generation treatment for cancer.","date":"2010-01-13","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40169","proposer":"10571","edm":"590","session":"2009-10","title":"Beating Bowel Cancer","text":"That this House welcomes the progress towards completing the roll-out of the NHS bowel cancer screening programme for 60 to 69 year olds in England; supports the recent commitment to extend bowel cancer screening to 70 to 75 year olds; recognises that bowel cancer is the UK's second biggest cancer killer, with more than 37,500 people diagnosed each year; further supports the efforts of the screening programme to reduce the number of deaths from the disease through early detection and treatment; notes that participation in the bowel cancer screening programme is only 55.5 per cent.; congratulates Beating Bowel Cancer on its Be Loud! Be Clear! campaign, and its ongoing work with bowel cancer patients; supports the charity's 2012 Screening Challenge to work with patients and the NHS to increase the levels of uptake in the screening programme so that one million additional people are screened for bowel cancer by 2012; and urges the Government to extend the age range for screening in England to 50 to 59 year-olds so that more people at risk of bowel cancer have the opportunity to be screened for, and beat, the disease.","date":"2010-01-13","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40151","proposer":"10413","edm":"572","session":"2009-10","title":"Atrial Fibrillation And Access To Dronedarone","text":"That this House recognises the human and financial costs of Atrial Fibrillation (AF) and that its prevalence is likely to double over the next 50 years; further recognises Dronedarone as a first-in-class anti-arrhythmic drug, and the only anti-arrhythmic medication known to improve long-term cardiac health in AF patients; notes with concern that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued draft guidance proposing to deny the use of Dronedarone to patients in England and Wales; believes that it is a fundamental principle of the NHS that patients and doctors should have a choice in therapy options; understands that many people with AF who currently struggle to manage the condition would benefit from access to this treatment and that its use would yield considerable cost savings in the longer term through reduced hospital admissions and reduced incidence of stroke; further recognises the widespread dismay among both clinicians and patients at the NICE draft guidelines on Dronedarone and the late and unhelpful timing of its publication on Christmas Eve 2009; supports the Atrial Fibrial Association's campaign to enable those treated by the NHS to have access to this medicine and for NICE to review its decision at a second NICE Appraisal Committee meeting to be held on 24 February 2010; and calls on NICE to ensure that patients, carers and health professionals be permitted to give evidence at this meeting.","date":"2010-01-12","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40109","proposer":"10677","edm":"533","session":"2009-10","title":"National Lung Cancer Audit","text":"That this House notes the publication of the National Lung Cancer Audit 2009 which identifies wide regional variations in the active treatment of lung cancer and patients' access to specialist lung cancer nurses; is concerned by the Audit's findings that only half of lung cancer patients are currently seen by a lung cancer specialist nurse and that only a quarter of patients have a nurse specialist present to give them support when receiving their diagnosis; welcomes the publication of the United Kingdom Lung Cancer Coalition's Lung Cancer Review, which benchmarks progress and makes recommendations for change across important aspects of lung cancer, including prevention and awareness, diagnosis and treatment, workforce capacity, data collection and research; and calls on the Government to work with the UK Lung Cancer Coalition and its members to help deliver the ambitious but achievable aim of doubling lung cancer survival in the UK.","date":"2010-01-05","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40091","proposer":"11480","edm":"518","session":"2009-10","title":"Independence Of Nhs Charities","text":"That this House is alarmed at the manner in which the Department of Health and Monitor are applying International Accounting Standard 27, which will come into effect from April 2010, to NHS charities; notes the serious concern amongst the Association of NHS Charities and the Charity Commission that this could lead to the consolidation of NHS charities' funds, worth over \u00a3300 million annually, and assets, worth over \u00a32 billion, into the public accounts of their parent NHS bodies; believes this would seriously undermine the independence of those charities and damage their level of income from donations; further believes that the manner in which these accounting standards are being applied is entirely inappropriate for NHS charities; and calls on the Treasury and the Office of the Third Sector to take action to ensure that the existing independence of NHS charities from public sector bodies is maintained.","date":"2009-12-16","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40103","proposer":"10304","edm":"459A1","session":"2009-10","title":"Age-Related Macular Degeneration","text":"at end add `and to support research with stem cells to repair the damage caused by AMD such as that being carried out at University College London in the Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine.'.","date":"2009-12-16","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"40029","proposer":"11245","edm":"459","session":"2009-10","title":"Age-Related Macular Degeneration","text":"That this House recognises that age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of poor sight in people over 60 years; notes that there are two types of AMD, wet and dry, dry being the most common form of the condition; further notes that there is research which suggests that vitamin supplements can help slow down the progression of dry AMD; expresses concern that provision of vitamin supplements to treat AMD on the NHS is decided by local primary care trusts and therefore postcode-controlled; congratulates the Government for providing treatment for wet AMD on the NHS; and urges it to provide treatment for dry AMD on the NHS to all those over the age of 60, irrespective of where in England they happen to live.","date":"2009-12-14","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39906","proposer":"10548","edm":"346","session":"2009-10","title":"Organ Donors","text":"That this House notes that 10 year old George Higginson, who was tragically killed in a road traffic accident, donated his organs as gifts of life to five other people; wishes to pay tribute to the courage and selflessness of his parents who continue to support and promote organ donation; and supports Mr Higginson's suggestion that arrangements be made at polling stations to give people an opportunity to register as an organ donor whilst voting at the forthcoming general election.","date":"2009-12-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39911","proposer":"11489","edm":"351","session":"2009-10","title":"Colitis And Crohn's Disease","text":"That this House recognises the potentially debilitating nature of inflammatory bowel disease, and the effect this can have on carrying out everyday tasks; notes that Crohn's disease and colitis are not as well understood by the general public as some other conditions and is concerned that the Department for Work and Pensions and Jobcentre Plus policies do not always reflect the needs of these conditions; acknowledges that the conditions can change over time, and that it can be difficult to assess whether sufferers are fit for work on an ongoing basis; welcomes the publication of the Quality Care Standards for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, the first national framework on how to treat these conditions; and calls on the Government to ensure that health workers, Department for Work and Pensions staff and Jobcentre Plus staff are given adequate training to respond to the needs of people with colitis and Crohn's disease.","date":"2009-12-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39912","proposer":"11489","edm":"352","session":"2009-10","title":"Essential Tremor Disorder","text":"That this House acknowledges the difficulties faced by those diagnosed with essential tremor, an involuntary shaking or trembling of part of the body; notes that it is one of the most common neurological diseases, affecting approximately four per cent. of those aged 40 years or over, and the most common form of tremor; further acknowledges that while many can live happy, healthy lives despite the disorder, it can cause significant problems for the remainder in carrying out their daily routine; welcomes the support given to sufferers by the National Tremor Foundation in the UK; further notes the lack of research into this condition; and believes that greater recognition of essential tremor would help to improve treatment and public understanding.","date":"2009-12-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39922","proposer":"10021","edm":"362","session":"2009-10","title":"Musculoskeletal Conditions","text":"That this House notes that arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions affect one in four of the population, causing widespread pain and disability; is concerned that 60 per cent. of primary care trusts have not audited outcomes against over \u00a34 billion of NHS expenditure; and calls on the Government to ensure that musculoskeletal services receive improved strategic direction.","date":"2009-12-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39866","proposer":"10224","edm":"306","session":"2009-10","title":"Free Prescriptions For People With Long-Term Conditions","text":"That this House supports the Prescription Promise campaign in urging the Prime Minister to implement his promise, made in September 2008, to abolish prescription charges for people with long-term conditions as soon as possible; believes that timely access to appropriate medication is crucial in order to minimise the impact of living with a long-term condition for the individual and to minimise the cost of treating long-term conditions for the NHS; is therefore concerned that the recession has made it harder for large numbers of people with long-term conditions to pay for their prescriptions and that many are going without vital medicines; notes that the Government has identified savings from the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme of around \u00a3550 million per year from 2010, which will be more than sufficient to cover the \u00a3250-\u00a3350 million cost, estimated by the Department of Health, of implementing free prescriptions for people with long-term conditions; further notes with concern that Professor Ian Gilmore's review of prescription charges has not yet been published; and calls on the Government to publish this review and its own response as soon as possible.","date":"2009-12-01","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39855","proposer":"10383","edm":"295","session":"2009-10","title":"Statutory Registration Of Herbalists","text":"That this House notes that certain herbal medicines, including Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, Kampo, traditional Tibetan medicine, Unani Tibb and western herbal medicine, may be effectively outlawed in the UK by the EU unless statutory regulation is introduced by the Government before April 2011, and that the Government's recent consultation on this issue has concluded; and therefore calls on the Government to bring forward promptly a statutory system for registering and regulating herbalists, acupuncturists and practitioners of other traditional medicine systems to meet the EU requirements and thus ensure that patients continue to have access to the full range of traditional medicines they are currently able to receive.","date":"2009-11-30","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39807","proposer":"10043","edm":"264","session":"2009-10","title":"Support For Adults With Communication Needs","text":"That this House welcomes the formation of the Adult Communication Coalition England (ACCE) which aims to ensure that all adults and older people get the speech, language and communication support, equipment and services they need to communicate effectively; notes the ACCE estimate that at least 1.5 million people in England have Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN); is concerned that at present many adults with SLCN do not receive the communication support, equipment and services they need and that wide geographical variations exist in access to these services, particularly during transition into adulthood; recognises that without such support adults with SLCN are being denied opportunities to live independently and fulfil their social and economic potential; regrets the low priority given to the needs of adults with SLCN at a national level and the lack of a comprehensive national strategy for adult SLCN; and calls on the Government urgently to undertake an audit to assess the current state of services for adults with SLCN and to identify the barriers they face in getting their needs identified and met.","date":"2009-11-26","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39774","proposer":"10393","edm":"231","session":"2009-10","title":"Ultra Sound Screening For Aortic Aneurysms","text":"That this House expresses its dismay that the Department of Health does not know the number of hospitals as general practices providing ultra sound screening for aortic aneurysms; considers that this information should be held centrally in order to ensure that the enormous life-saving benefits of this technology can be planned and maximised; and deems that failure of the Department not to remedy this information deficit with immediate effect would be a serious abdication of responsibility and urges the Secretary of State to personally direct his Department in this regard.","date":"2009-11-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39780","proposer":"10351","edm":"237","session":"2009-10","title":"East Midlands Muscle Group","text":"That this House welcomes the launch of the East Midlands Muscle Group; notes that the group is led by local families and people affected by muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions who will campaign to improve access to essential specialist care and support; is concerned to learn of the serious problems affecting the 4,000 people with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions living in East Midlands; further notes that access to multi-disciplinary specialist care improves overall health outcomes and survival for patients with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscual conditions; is deeply concerned that some patients are being denied access to multi-disciplinary specialist care; calls on the East Midlands Specialised Commissioning Group, local primary care trusts and the Strategic Health Authority to take forward a review of neuromuscular services to identify areas of best practice and gaps in NHS service provision; and praises the campaign led by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, local families, health professionals and experts in these conditions who will work together to fight for good access to clinically effective, first class, specialised neuromuscular services across the East Midlands region.","date":"2009-11-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39646","proposer":"10001","edm":"109","session":"2009-10","title":"Public And Private Healthcare Provision","text":"That this House believes that in order for healthcare to be truly public it must be free at the point of access and run by not-for-profit organisations; is concerned by recent developments which have seen private, profit-making companies awarded contracts to run NHS healthcare clinics; notes with concern that three clinics in Hackney are already being run by private, profit-making companies; further notes with concern that there are plans to tender out two new GP-led healthcare centres in Hackney, potentially to private, profit-making companies; further believes that all healthcare should be provided by bodies that have the interests of their patients, not their shareholders, as a priority; is concerned that privately-run healthcare centres tend to offer short-term contracts for GPs instead of allowing doctors to build up a knowledge of the local area; is further concerned by evidence that the bidding process for healthcare centres is biased in favour of private, profit-making companies who have considerably more financial and legal resources to devote to the bidding process; and calls on the Government to reverse its decision to allow private, profit-making companies to tender for healthcare centre contracts.","date":"2009-11-19","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39650","proposer":"11784","edm":"113","session":"2009-10","title":"Musculoskeletal Services Framework","text":"That this House welcomes the publication of Joint Working?: An Audit of the Implementation of the Department of Health's musculoskeletal services framework by the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance; notes that musculoskeletal conditions place a significant burden on both the NHS and society, accounting for \u00a33.5 billion of total NHS spending every year and causing a loss of some 11.2 million working days per annum; expresses concern that the Department of Health's musculoskeletal services framework has been implemented in an inconsistent way across the country since its introduction in 2006; recognises that the variations in standards of care across the UK for patients living with musculoskeletal conditions should be addressed; and calls on the Government to consider the recommendation contained in the report for the appointment of a national clinical director to lead and develop new priorities and incentives for musculoskeletal services in the UK.","date":"2009-11-19","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39542","proposer":"10521","edm":"5","session":"2009-10","title":"Cystic Fibrosis And Prescription Charges","text":"That this House believes that people with cystic fibrosis should not have to pay prescription charges.","date":"2009-11-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39566","proposer":"11245","edm":"29","session":"2009-10","title":"Safety Of Medicines","text":"That this House believes that the safety of medicines should be established by the most reliable methods available in order to reduce the large and increasing toll of serious adverse drug reactions; and calls on the Government to initiate an unprecedented comparison of currently required animal tests with a set of human biology-based tests, to see which is the most effective means to predict the safety of medicines for patients.","date":"2009-11-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39586","proposer":"10455","edm":"49","session":"2009-10","title":"Pernicious Anaemia","text":"That this House recognises that the Pernicious Anaemia Society has identified fundamental problems associated with the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of vitamin B12 deficiency in general, and with pernicious anaemia in particular, causing unnecessary suffering among patients; believes that the current treatment regime used to treat vitamin B12 deficiency and pernicious anaemia would benefit from a review relating to its efficacy and cost-effectiveness and that alternative, modern, self-administered treatment regimes that are available should be evaluated in order to save medical staff time and provide a more efficient treatment regime based on the needs of the patient; further believes that pernicious anaemia is a long-term condition and that patients suffering from the disease should have access to comprehensive assessment and regular review of patients' problems as set out in the National Service Framework for Long Term Conditions; further believes that patients with pernicious anaemia are made to fit themselves into the way care is provided locally and that this often does not meet the needs of the individual; and calls on the Government to order a review of the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of pernicious anaemia.","date":"2009-11-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39600","proposer":"10527","edm":"63","session":"2009-10","title":"Access To Insulin Pump Therapy For People With Type 1 Diabetes","text":"That this House welcomes Diabetes UK's campaign to end the postcode lottery for insulin pump therapy; believes that making a small change through providing the technology can make a big difference to the lives of people with diabetes; notes the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommendation that insulin pump therapy should be available as a treatment option for people with Type 1 diabetes in cases where multiple dose insulin therapy has failed, and the person is willing and able to use insulin pump therapy effectively; further notes with concern that this guidance is not being adhered to locally in a uniform manner; is aware that currently only two per cent. of people with Type 1 diabetes use pumps in the UK, compared to 10 to 20 per cent. in other European member states and around 15 to 20 per cent. in the United States; further believes that the use of pumps can have cost benefits to the local NHS through a reduction in primary care contracts and a reduction in hospital admissions and hospital outpatient contracts; and calls on the Government to oversee the implementation of NICE guidance by primary care organisations to end the postcode lottery.","date":"2009-11-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39601","proposer":"10527","edm":"64","session":"2009-10","title":"Access To Inhaled Insulin Products For Diabetics","text":"That this House disagrees with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's technology appraisal document which proposes the restriction of access to inhaled insulin products on the NHS to patients with a proven injection phobia diagnosed by a psychiatrist or psychologist; is concerned that diabetes sufferers often delay treatment for as long as four years due to a fear of injections, risking the complications of heart disease, blindness and kidney failure, a situation that will only be compounded by attaching the unfortunate stigma of mental illness to those with a phobia of needles; expresses concern at the additional workload that will be placed on already overstretched NHS psychiatric services; and believes that the judgement of expert clinicians should be trusted in managing each individual patient's condition.","date":"2009-11-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39602","proposer":"10527","edm":"65","session":"2009-10","title":"Information Prescriptions For People With Diabetes","text":"That this House notes with concern that 65 per cent. of the two million people in the UK with diabetes are not taking their medications as prescribed because one in three do not understand what those medications are for, or how to take them; welcomes the work of a coalition of Diabetes UK, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Society and Ask About Medicines to facilitate understanding of medicines used to treat diabetes; believes that everyone with the condition has a right to expect a personalised information prescription expressed in an appropriate format as part of their care planning process; further believes that such a personalised prescription should help to ensure that access to clear and consistent information that is accurate, up-to-date and trustworthy will enable people with diabetes to understand their condition and treatment options regardless of their age, ethnicity, disability or postcode; further believes that people should be encouraged to seek information on medicines and other treatments by discussing their condition with and asking questions of a range of healthcare professionals and by accessing other forms of support and information tailored for each person in their particular situation; andcalls on the Government to ensure that the NHS at a local level provides diabetes care and support in line with these standards.","date":"2009-11-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39623","proposer":"10258","edm":"86","session":"2009-10","title":"Prevention Of Healthcare-Associated Infections","text":"That this House regrets that the best estimate the Government has provided for the cost to the NHS of treating and preventing healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) is based on data that is 14 years old; notes that recent reductions in superbug infection rates are modest drops from record high levels; understands that the NHS is considering providing infection-control packs to only those patients who already have MRSA; regrets that such measures are designed to deal with infection rather than prevent it; further notes that it costs up to \u00a310,000 more to treat each patient that contracts an HCAI, which affect an estimated one in 10 patients, and that in consequence the NHS spends up to \u00a31,000 per inpatient on treating HCAIs irrespective of whether the inpatient contracts an infection; believes that, in order to prevent HCAIs, it is essential that the NHS provides a comprehensive range of proven personal antimicrobial products and a guide to infection control to every NHS inpatient; calls upon the Government to, at the very least, undertake widespread trials of such an initiative, report the findings to the House and extend the initiative throughout the NHS if the trial is successful; and recognises that this preventative scheme, if implemented, would cost a small fraction of the amount spent on HCAI treatment.","date":"2009-11-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39624","proposer":"10133","edm":"87","session":"2009-10","title":"Whittington Hospital","text":"That this House recognises the Whittington Hospital is a valuable asset to healthcare in North London and has recently undergone a major rebuilding programme; notes that the Whittington receives into its accident and emergency department alone approximately 80,000 patients annually and offers accessible services including maternity, neo-natal, cancer, day surgery and more; is very concerned to hear ongoing talk of a threat to or merger of any of the Whittington's major services with the Royal Free Hospital, thereby reducing the viability of the Whittington's continued existence as a separate institution, and of its services to local people in Islington, Haringey and Camden; and calls upon NHS London to ensure the continued existence of the Whittington Hospital inclusive of its major services.","date":"2009-11-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39524","proposer":"11672","edm":"2260","session":"2008-09","title":"Children's Heart Centres","text":"That this House recognises the vital work done by children's heart centres across the country; understands that both children themselves and their parents can suffer extraordinary distress when a child is found to be suffering from a problem with their heart early in life; notes with alarm that a review is currently underway to assess the viability of up to 11 children's heart centres in the UK; further notes in particular the especially good work recently undertaken by the children's heart centre in Leeds General Infirmary in successfully operating on Liam Hey to repair a problem with his heart when he was just eight weeks old; laments that the closure of such an establishment would be detrimental to the surrounding community and would increase the anxiety of parents should their children be in the unfortunate position of having a problem with their heart; and calls on the Government to take all possible action to ensure that these centres stay open and continue to provide a valuable service to the young families of Great Britain.","date":"2009-11-10","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39528","proposer":"10292","edm":"2264","session":"2008-09","title":"National Refractory Angina Centre","text":"That this House notes with concern that an estimated 50,000 patients and their families are affected by refractory angina, a particularly painful and disabling form of angina that cannot be treated by revascularisation; further notes that the condition is becoming increasingly prevalent and costly; congratulates the award-winning National Refractory Angina Centre, enrac, in Liverpool, which the Under-Secretary of State for Health rightly described as `not only the best possible service to which [refractory angina sufferers] in this country can be referred ... but a blueprint for the development of other such services elsewhere', for being the only NHS service to be accredited with the maximum five stars in the prestigious UK Customer Experience Awards; and calls on the Secretary of State for Health to demonstrate commitment to his vision of `payment linked to levels of patient satisfaction through a powerful, new financial framework that rewards people-centred service and care' by intervening urgently where local mechanisms have failed and compelling the commissioners to make funds immediately available to provide cardiological support to safeguard this beacon of patient care for existing patients and the thousands who could benefit from its future replication.","date":"2009-11-10","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39504","proposer":"11199","edm":"2243","session":"2008-09","title":"Occupational Therapy Week","text":"That this House supports Occupational Therapy Week which runs from 2 to 8 November 2009, organised by the College of Occupational Therapists; congratulates occupational therapists in both the health service and in social care for their dedicated and vital work to aid the effective recovery of patients and allow them to recover ordinary lives; recognises that occupational therapists work in many spheres including those of children, young people and families, HIV\/AIDS, oncology and palliative care, housing, mental health, neurological practice, older people, people with learning disabilities, rheumatology and trauma and orthopaedics; urges the Government to continue to recognise that occupational therapists are a significant section of the NHS clinical and social care workforce; and recommends that all hon. Members visit an occupational therapy service in their local area to see the important work that is being done.","date":"2009-11-05","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39493","proposer":"10716","edm":"2232","session":"2008-09","title":"Sir John Crofton","text":"That this House mourns the sad loss of tuberculosis (TB) pioneer Sir John Crofton who died on 3 November 2009, aged 97; recognises his outstanding contribution to the control of TB during his lifetime with his work in the field helping to cure over 10 million people of the disease worldwide; notes that Sir John was awarded the Union Medal, the highest honour awarded by the International Union against TB and Lung Diseases for his groundbreaking work; and sends condolences to the friends and family of Sir John who will no doubt be very proud of a remarkable man.","date":"2009-11-04","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39479","proposer":"10598","edm":"2219","session":"2008-09","title":"National Strategy For Motor Neurone Disease","text":"That this House endorses the call by the Motor Neurone Disease Association for a national strategy for motor neurone disease (MND) and believes that such a strategy would lead to enhanced cost-effectiveness and good practice; supports the implementation of the National Service Framework for Long-Term Neurological Conditions; is dismayed that no official national clinical guidance or approach exists in relation to MND; notes the extreme cruelty of motor neurone disease, which dramatically curtails lives and traps an often healthy mind in a failing and incapacitated body; and believes that a national strategy is urgently needed in order to address the inequity of access to best practice in care for people with MND and to ensure as high a quality of life as possible and dignity in death.","date":"2009-11-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39413","proposer":"10351","edm":"2163","session":"2008-09","title":"East Midlands Muscle Group","text":"That this House welcomes the launch of the East Midlands Muscle Group; notes that the group is led by local families and people affected by muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions who will campaign to improve access to essential specialist care and support; is concerned to learn of the serious problems affecting the 4,000 people with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions living in the East Midlands; further notes that access to multi-disciplinary specialist care improves overall health outcomes and survival for patients with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions; is deeply concerned that some patients are being denied access to multi-disciplinary specialist care; calls on the East Midlands Specialised Commissioning Group, local primary care trusts and the Strategic Health Authority to take forward a review of neuromuscular services to identify areas of best practice and gaps in NHS service provision; and praises the campaign led by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, local families, health professionals and experts in these conditions who will work together to fight for good access to clinically effective, first class, specialised neuromuscular services across the East Midlands region.","date":"2009-10-27","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39372","proposer":"11784","edm":"2138","session":"2008-09","title":"20th Anniversary Of Springhill Hospice","text":"That this House congratulates Springhill Hospice in Rochdale on its 20th anniversary; further congratulates Margaret Geoghan and her team on the excellent job that they have been doing over the past 20 years; notes that Springhill along with all other hospices has suffered a drop in income due to the recession; and welcomes the Prime Minister's agreement to undertake a review of the funding of hospices with a view to ring-fencing funding for centres of excellence such as Springhill Hospice.","date":"2009-10-22","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39306","proposer":"10021","edm":"2075","session":"2008-09","title":"World Osteoporosis Day, 20 October 2009","text":"That this House notes that 20 October 2009 is World Osteoporosis Day; is concerned that three million people in the UK have osteoporosis and are at risk of painful and debilitating fractures; is alarmed that an average of 21 hip fracture-related deaths occur in each constituency every year; congratulates the National Osteoporosis Society on its continuing efforts to eradicate needless fragility fractures throughout the UK; calls for the universal implementation of the Government's Prevention Package for Older People throughout England; further notes that this advises local health and social care communities to establish comprehensive fracture liaison services on the basis that they are cost-neutral and effective in reducing future fractures; and calls for primary care trusts to review their falls and fracture services against those provided by other trusts within their region.","date":"2009-10-19","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39303","proposer":"10144","edm":"2072","session":"2008-09","title":"Prescription Of Anti-Cancer Drugs","text":"That this House notes with concern the postcode lottery in the NHS in relation to the prescription of the anti-cancer drug, Cetuximab and the refusal of the Durham Primary Care Trust to prescribe this potentially life-saving drug to a constituent of the hon. Member for Easington; further notes with concern that the North of England Cancer Drugs Approval Group which was to have considered the prescribing of Cetuximab to patients who had already received both Oxaliplatin and Irinotecan containing regimes on 30 September 2009 has deferred its decision to a future meeting; and calls upon the Government to fund treatments using Cetuximab to patients where their consultant physician has recommended such use.","date":"2009-10-16","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39290","proposer":"10455","edm":"2062","session":"2008-09","title":"Pernicious Anaemia","text":"That this House recognises that the Pernicious Anaemia Society has identified fundamental problems associated with the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of vitamin B12 deficiency in general, and with pernicious anaemia in particular, causing unnecessary suffering among patients; believes that the current treatment regime used to treat vitamin B12 deficiency and pernicious anaemia would benefit from a review relating to its efficacy and cost-effectiveness and that alternative, modern, self-administered treatment regimes that are available should be evaluated in order to save medical staff time and provide a more efficient treatment regime based on the needs of the patient; further believes that pernicious anaemia is a long-term condition and that patients suffering from the disease should have access to `comprehensive assessment and regular review of patients problems' as set out in the National Service Framework for Long Term Conditions; further believes that patients with pernicious anaemia are made to fit themselves into the way care is provided locally and that this often does not meet the needs of the individual; and calls upon the Government to order a review of the symptoms, diagnoses and treatment of pernicious anaemia.","date":"2009-10-15","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39274","proposer":"11641","edm":"2044","session":"2008-09","title":"London Muscle Group","text":"That this House welcomes the launch of the London Muscle Group; notes that the new group will campaign to improve access to essential specialist care and support for patients living with muscle disease; further notes that the Group is led by local families and people affected by muscular dystrophy and other related neuromuscular conditions; is concerned to learn of the serious problems that the 7,500 people with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions face living in London; further notes that access to multi-disciplinary specialist care improves overall health outcomes and survival for patients with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions; calls on the London Specialised Commissioning Group, local primary care trusts and the Strategic Health Authority to take forward a review of neuromuscular services which will identify areas of best practice and gaps in NHS service provision; and praises the campaign led by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, local families, health professionals and experts in these conditions who will work together to fight for good access to clinically effective, first class, specialised neuromuscular services across London.","date":"2009-10-14","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39210","proposer":"10079","edm":"1980","session":"2008-09","title":"Muscular Dystrophy","text":"That this House welcomes the launch of the East of England Muscle Group; notes that the new group is led by local families and people affected by muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions who will campaign to improve access to essential specialist care and support; is concerned to learn of the serious problems affecting the 5,500 people with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions living in the East of England; further notes that access to multi-disciplinary specialist care improves overall health outcomes and survival for patients with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions; is deeply concerned that some patients are being denied access to multi-disciplinary specialist care; calls on the East of England Specialised Commissioning Group, local primary care trusts and the Strategic Health Authority to take forward a review of neuromuscular services which will identify areas of best practice and gaps in NHS service provision; and praises the campaign led by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, local families, health professionals and experts in these conditions who will work together to fight for good access to clinically effective, first class, specialised neuromuscular services across the East of England region.","date":"2009-10-12","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39230","proposer":"11427","edm":"2001","session":"2008-09","title":"Access To Specialist Neuromuscular Care And The Walton Report","text":"That this House welcomes the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Muscular Dystrophy's publication Access to Specialist Neuromuscular Care: The Walton Report; is deeply concerned about the vulnerability of services for people with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions in many parts of the UK; notes the urgent need to address gaps in service provision; expresses the hope that the recommendations put forward in the report will be implemented; calls for regional specialised commissioning groups to follow the lead of the South West and the West Midlands and conduct an urgent review of services; and further calls on the Department of Health, the National Specialised Commissioning Group and regional specialised commissioning groups to work with families living with muscle disease, health professionals and the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign to improve access to specialist care.","date":"2009-10-12","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39198","proposer":"10512","edm":"1971","session":"2008-09","title":"Muscular Dystrophy Services In Yorkshire And Humberside","text":"That this House welcomes the launch of the Yorkshire and Humberside Muscle Group; notes that this group is led by local families and people affected by muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions living in the region; further notes that access to multi-disciplinary specialist care improves overall health outcomes and survival for patients; is deeply concerned that some patients are being denied access to this specialist care; calls on the Yorkshire and Humberside Specialist Commissioning Group, local primary care trusts and the Strategic Health Authority to take forward a review of neuromuscular services to identify areas of best practice and any gaps in NHS provision; and praises the campaign led by the Muscular Dystrophy campaign, local families, health professionals and other experts in their fight for full access to clinically effective, high quality specialised neuromuscular services across Yorkshire and Humberside.","date":"2009-07-21","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39155","proposer":"10080","edm":"1929","session":"2008-09","title":"Destruction Of Stored Human Embryos","text":"That this House notes that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Statutory Storage Period for Embryos and Gametes) Regulations 2009 (S.I., 2009, No. 1582), dated 25 July 2009, a copy of which was laid before this House on 1 July 2009, does not provide for the preservation of embryos whose statutory storage period has expired; is concerned that in circumstances where people have stored embryos under 1991 regulations ahead of medical treatment that renders one or other of them infertile that the lack of transitional arrangements in the Regulations will result in the embryos being destroyed against the express wishes of the donors; further notes that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority supported the case for allowing people in such cases to have access to further extensions to the storage period; calls on the Government to bring forward further regulations to allow for the continued storage of embryos for those who actively desire it in order that they might use them to have a family by means of surrogacy; and further calls on the Government to act immediately to suspend the destruction of such embryos where the donors so wish.","date":"2009-07-20","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39156","proposer":"11784","edm":"1930","session":"2008-09","title":"Msf Review Launch","text":"That this House welcomes the publication of Joint Working?: An Audit of the Implementation of the Department of Health's musculoskeletal services framework by the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance; notes that musculoskeletal conditions place a significant burden on both the NHS and society, accounting for \u00c2\u00a33.5 billion of total NHS spending every year and causing a loss of some 11.2 million working days per annum; expresses concern that the Department of Health's musculoskeletal services framework has been implemented in an inconsistent way across the country since its introduction in 2006; recognises that the variations in standards of care across the UK for patients living with musculoskeletal conditions should be addressed; and calls on the Government to consider the recommendation contained in the report for the appointment of a national clinical director to lead and develop new priorities and incentives for musculoskeletal services in the UK.","date":"2009-07-20","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39100","proposer":"10335","edm":"1879","session":"2008-09","title":"CHILDREN'S HEALTH PARK AT ALDER HEY","text":"That this House welcomes the public consultation exercise being conducted as part of a process to create the UK's first Children's Health Park centred on Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool, also called the Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital; believes that this new project will ensure the continued provision of the full range of acute and chronic paediatric treatment facilities to a world class standard, in a caring and inspiring environment and serving a population that encompasses the whole of Merseyside and parts of Lancashire, Cheshire, Shropshire and Cumbria, as well as North Wales and the Isle of Man; celebrates, as its centenary approaches in 2014, the important role Alder Hey has played in pioneering groundbreaking medical and clinical developments in the care of children and young people; notes that despite continuing to use many buildings over 75 years old, with some dating back to Alder Hey's previous existence as a workhouse, the medical, nursing and administrative staff perform heroically; and calls on the Secretary of State for Health to ensure Alder Hey's vision for a 21st century health facility for the children of Liverpool and the North West of England is realised.","date":"2009-07-14","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39102","proposer":"11224","edm":"1881","session":"2008-09","title":"National Health Service (S.i., 2009, No. 1298)","text":"That the National Health Service Pension Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2009 (S.I., 2009, No. 1298), dated 20 May 2009, a copy of which was laid before this House on 27 May, be revoked.","date":"2009-07-14","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39109","proposer":"10022","edm":"1888","session":"2008-09","title":"Launch Of Muscle Group: South East Coast","text":"That this House welcomes the launch of Muscle Group: South East Coast; notes that the new group is led by local families and people affected by muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions who will campaign to improve access to essential specialist care and support; is concerned that a new report published by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign illustrates serious problems affecting the 4,200 people with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions living in Kent, Surrey and Sussex; further notes that access to multi-disciplinary specialist care improves overall health outcomes and survival for patients with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions; is deeply concerned that some patients are being denied access to multi-disciplinary specialist care; calls on the Specialised Commissioning Group, local primary care trusts and the Strategic Health Authority to take forward a review of neuromuscular services to identify areas of best practice and gaps in NHS service provision; and praises the campaign led by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, local families, health professionals and experts in these conditions who will work together to fight for good access to clinically effective, first class, specialised neuromuscular services across the NHS South East Coast region.","date":"2009-07-14","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39071","proposer":"11427","edm":"1851","session":"2008-09","title":"Neuromuscular Support Services","text":"That this House welcomes the launch of the North East Muscle Group; notes that the new group is led by local families and people affected by muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions who will campaign to improve access to essential specialist care and support; is concerned to learn of the serious problems affecting the 2,500 people with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions living in the North East region; further notes that access to multi-disciplinary specialist care improves overall health outcomes and survival for patients with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions; calls on the North East Specialised Commissioning Group, local primary care trusts and the Strategic Health Authority to take forward a review of neuromuscular services which will identify areas of best practice and gaps in NHS service provision; and praises the campaign led by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, local families, health professionals and experts in these conditions who will work together to fight for good access to clinically effective, first class, specialised neuromuscular services across the North East region.","date":"2009-07-13","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"39019","proposer":"10224","edm":"1745A1","session":"2008-09","title":"HIV Treatment In The Developing World","text":"leave out from `2010' to `and' in line 9 and insert `notes that no company has yet agreed to sign up to putting drugs to treat HIV into the UNITAID or other patent pools, and urges pharmaceutical companies to do so;'.","date":"2009-07-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38988","proposer":"11823","edm":"1788","session":"2008-09","title":"Solihull Hospital Maternity Services","text":"That this House notes with concern proposals announced by the Heart of England Foundation Trust to downgrade Solihull Hospital to no longer allow high risk, complicated or premature births to take place at the hospital from April 2010; further notes that as a result only a quarter of the 2,700 births at Solihull Hospital each year would take place there; is concerned that a number of services at Solihull Hospital have been downgraded in recent years which, with cuts to the Care Trust budget of \u00c2\u00a311.2 million this financial year, will add further stress to health services in Solihull; and calls on the Heart of England Foundation Trust to reject these proposals and to ensure that Solihull Hospital is sufficiently funded and equipped so that it is able to provide a full range of maternity services for local people.","date":"2009-07-01","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38943","proposer":"10119","edm":"1745","session":"2008-09","title":"HIV Treatment In The Developing World","text":"That this House notes with concern that around the world 15 million children have lost one or more parents due to AIDS; notes that only 31 per cent. of adults and barely 10 per cent. of children in need of HIV treatment have access to it and that access to prevention is also limited; further notes that there is a lack of appropriate HIV treatments for children, and that the number of adults who have become resistant to basic HIV treatment and require more expensive medicines is increasing; recognises that pharmaceutical companies have a vital role to play in helping to achieve universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010; welcomes the fact that many companies have chosen voluntarily to sign up to new patent pool arrangements; and calls for governments, businesses and voluntary organisations to work together in tackling the epidemic.","date":"2009-06-24","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38915","proposer":"10166","edm":"1722","session":"2008-09","title":"People With Autism","text":"That this House notes the recent report from the National Audit Office Supporting People with Autism through Adulthood; further notes that adults with high-functioning autism are significantly less likely to experience traumatic and costly acute mental health problems if they are receiving appropriate services; further notes in particular the report's conclusion that providing appropriate health, social care and employment support to those with high-functioning autism or Asperger's syndrome could save the public purse millions of pounds; recognises the positive steps already taken by the Government to address some of these issues; and calls on the Government to take forward all the recommendations contained in the report in its forthcoming adult autism strategy.","date":"2009-06-22","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38921","proposer":"11245","edm":"1707A1","session":"2008-09","title":"Healthcare-Acquired Infections","text":"after `occupancy;', insert `further calls on the Government to encourage patient participation in prevention, using anti-microbial products;'.","date":"2009-06-22","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38899","proposer":"10190","edm":"1707","session":"2008-09","title":"Healthcare-Acquired Infections","text":"That this House recognises the significant challenge of healthcare-acquired infections on service delivery, patient safety and well-being and public confidence; welcomes the British Medical Association's report on reducing healthcare-acquired infections; expresses concern that short-term targets have replaced sustainable, evidence-based strategies for dealing with these infections; notes the impact of overcrowding and understaffing on infection-control practices; calls on the Government to produce long-term policies that tackle patient throughput and high bed occupancy; and further calls for adequate resources for thorough everyday cleaning.","date":"2009-06-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38863","proposer":"11245","edm":"1676","session":"2008-09","title":"Reverse E-Auctions For Palliative And Dementia Care Contracts","text":"That this House is deeply sceptical about the use of reverse e-auctions by the NHS for palliative and dementia care contracts for the elderly when they leave hospital; regrets that where such auctions have been used, standards and quality have deteriorated rapidly; notes that one company was struck off the national register of approved providers only weeks after winning a local authority's reverse auction because the level of palliative care it offered was of such poor quality; and therefore calls on the Government to ban the practice, which is undignified and treats vulnerable elderly people as commodities to be bid for.","date":"2009-06-16","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38852","proposer":"10349","edm":"1667","session":"2008-09","title":"Mid Staffordshire Nhs Foundation Trust (No. 2)","text":"That this House notes the appointment of a new Secretary of State for Health; and calls on him to initiate an independent inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 into the failings of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.","date":"2009-06-15","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38825","proposer":"10299","edm":"1640","session":"2008-09","title":"Disabled Children And Health","text":"That this House welcomes the new report, Disabled Children and Health, produced by the Every Disabled Child Matters campaign, with the support of the Children's Trust, Tadworth; recognises the commitment made to children's health through the Healthy lives, brighter futures strategy; notes that this strategy confirms that primary care trusts in England have \u00c2\u00a3340 million in their 2008-09 budgets for services for disabled children, including short breaks, community equipment, wheelchairs and palliative care, for which \u00c2\u00a330 million is earmarked specifically for children's palliative care; further notes with concern the evidence in Disabled Children and Health that disabled children have unequal access to health services and that there is confusion amongst primary care trusts regarding what is expected of them in relation to health services for disabled children and how to identify this specific funding locally; acknowledges the impact of missing out on health services on the child and families' ability to lead an ordinary life; and calls on the Department of Health, primary care trusts, local authorities and the health, social care and education inspectorates to respond positively to the recommendations in the Every Disabled Child Matters report in order to provide disabled children with health services that meet their needs.","date":"2009-06-10","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38791","proposer":"10571","edm":"1613","session":"2008-09","title":"Hampered By Hormones Campaign","text":"That this House congratulates The Prostate Cancer Charity on launching the Hampered by hormones campaign which aims to address the needs of men with prostate cancer receiving hormone therapy; notes that the side effects of hormone therapy can have a significant impact on men's lives; expresses concern that research undertaken by the charity shows that over half of men are receiving too little information and support to help them manage the side effects of hormone therapy and are not receiving the standard of care and support they are entitled to; calls on the Government to ensure the full implementation of guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence relating to the care of men with prostate cancer; and further calls on the Government and the National Cancer Survivorship Initiative to review the charity's research findings and campaign recommendations and take action to improve the care of men living on hormone therapy.","date":"2009-06-08","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38762","proposer":"10166","edm":"1584","session":"2008-09","title":"KING'S FUND REPORT ON RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS","text":"That this House recognises the findings of the King's Fund report Perceptions of patients and professionals on rheumatoid arthritis care, commissioned by the Rheumatology Futures Project Group; notes with concern wide variations in the standards of care for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, poor implementation of service redesign, insufficient clinical involvement in the commissioning process and a limited, understanding of the disease and the needs of patients; recognises the improvements in initial access to care for patients brought about by the introduction of the 18-week waiting time target, but notes that further improvements in access to care need to be made throughout the patient pathway; and calls on the Department of Health to take steps to encourage NHS organisations to improve education and training of primary healthcare professionals to ensure rapid referral for treatment and supportive care and to publish without delay a commissioning pathway for inflammatory arthritis, together with a supporting toolkit to ensure robust and consistent standards of care throughout the patient journey.","date":"2009-06-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38742","proposer":"11905","edm":"1564","session":"2008-09","title":"Ivf Treatment For Oxfordshire Couples","text":"That this House notes that National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance states that IVF treatment should be funded for people aged between 23 and 39 years; further notes with concern that Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust only funds such treatment for couples aged between 35 and 38 years and refuses treatment to those where either partner has had a child, even if that child was born in a previous relationship; is encouraged that the Trust is currently reviewing its guidelines to reduce the age range to 30 years; and calls on Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust to go further and bring its guidelines into line with NICE guidance so that this vital treatment is available to the many couples in Oxfordshire who currently require such treatment but who fall outside the Primary Care Trust's current guidelines.","date":"2009-06-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38743","proposer":"10543","edm":"1565","session":"2008-09","title":"The Elizabeth Foundation","text":"That this House recognises the unique and vital service that The Elizabeth Foundation provides to deaf children from newborn to five years old and their families; notes with concern that the foundation will close at the end of July 2009 if funding of \u00c2\u00a3120,000 per annum cannot be secured; and calls on the Government to help save this service.","date":"2009-06-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38759","proposer":"10027","edm":"1581","session":"2008-09","title":"National Obesity Forum And The Medical Management Of Weight Loss","text":"That this House notes that the levels of obesity in the United Kingdom continue to increase with serious implications for the quality of life of millions of people and for the National Health Service; welcomes the publication on 2 June 2009 by the National Obesity Forum of Medical Management During Effect Weight Loss as a useful tool which provides outline guidance for healthcare practitioners caring for patients during effective weight loss following surgical interventions and non-surgical methods such as drugs, part-formula low calorie diets and very low-calorie diets; believes that this publication will be a valuable resource for general practitioners to enable them to give the best possible advice to patients seeking and achieving significant weight loss based on sound science and best medical evidence; and congratulates the authors, Dr David Haslam, Dr Colin Waine and Dr Anthony Leeds on their work.","date":"2009-06-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38735","proposer":"10089","edm":"1558","session":"2008-09","title":"Cancer Treatment","text":"That this House is concerned that the postcode lottery on cancer treatments is raising its ugly head again; notes that patients who are suffering from cancer and in need of the drug cetuximab, which has been proven to reduce tumours, are being refused because of that lottery; further notes that a constituent of the hon. Member for Blyth Valley, Mrs Mary Brewis, who is 53 years of age, has been informed by the local primary care trust that she cannot have the drug funded, effectively meaning she now awaits an early death sentence; and calls on the Government to fund all cancer treatments, no matter what the cost, to give cancer patients hope.","date":"2009-06-01","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38695","proposer":"13934","edm":"1525","session":"2008-09","title":"Proposed Closure Of Stroke Unit At Ealing Hospital","text":"That this House notes that Ealing Hospital's stroke unit is, according to an independent report, in the top 25 per cent. of stroke units in the country; further notes that 170 people died from stroke in Ealing in 2006-07, that in the same year there were approximately 1,600 admissions for stroke-related conditions with admissions from Southall wards running at twice the national levels; further notes that there are 4,000 people in Ealing who have had a stroke at some time; further notes that the proposed closure of the stroke unit in Ealing Hospital by Healthcare for London will mean that patients have to travel 30 minutes to Charing Cross or Northwick Park hospitals for initial treatment followed by treatment at either Hillingdon or West Middlesex hospitals that will mean further travel for family and friends of patients; is concerned that there is not sufficient capacity at these hospitals to meet the needs of stroke patients from Ealing and Southall and that other services at Ealing Hospital will suffer if the stroke unit is closed; and calls on Healthcare for London to review its proposals for Ealing Hospital's Stroke Unit and to keep it open.","date":"2009-05-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38664","proposer":"10646","edm":"1493","session":"2008-09","title":"ARCHBISHOP VINCENT NICHOLS'S STATEMENT ON ABORTION","text":"That this House welcomes the statement from His Grace the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Birmingham, calling on Catholics to do all they can to oppose the proposition to advertise abortion and condoms to children as young as 10 years old through television and radio; notes the claim of the Department of Health that its aim in promoting abortion and contraception among teenagers including under-age children is to lower the rates of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases in England and Wales; further notes the whole project has cost millions of pounds and is the biggest campaign of its kind carried out by any government in Western Europe; further notes that the main result appears to be to sexualise children with the consequence that the UK has the highest number of sexually active children of 15 and under resulting in the highest rate of teenage pregnancies, abortions and sexually-transmitted infections; further notes that a vast majority of citizens other than Catholics are appalled by the present policy; suggests to the Archbishop that any future statements of a similar nature should be addressed to all peoples of goodwill and not only to Catholics; further notes that the groups benefiting mainly from the current policies cover the abortion and contraceptive industries; and calls on the Government to publish annually the financial turnover of the abortion and contraceptive groups, companies and associated charities.","date":"2009-05-14","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38613","proposer":"11923","edm":"1448","session":"2008-09","title":"Proton Therapy Treatment","text":"That this House notes with grave concern the increasing number of British cancer patients who are having to travel abroad to receive the life saving treatment proton therapy; further notes that unlike radiotherapy, most of the radiation used during proton therapy is concentrated on the tumour meaning that the amount of radiation affecting normal tissues can be reduced to half or even one tenth at the same time as delivering the same or higher dose to the cancer; accepts that the treatment has been found to be more effective at reducing collateral radiation which is particularly beneficial for patients whose cancers are close to the spinal cord, brain, heart, eye or ear; is appalled at the fact that treatment is not readily available within the UK; and calls on the Government to invest in a specialist treatment centre to allow cancer patients to receive proton therapy in the UK.","date":"2009-05-07","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38592","proposer":"10526","edm":"1429","session":"2008-09","title":"South Central Muscle Group Launch","text":"That this House welcomes the launch of the South Central Muscle Group; notes that the new group is led by local families and people affected by muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions who will campaign to improve access to essential specialist care and support; is concerned that a new report published by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign illustrates serious problems affecting the 4,000 people with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions living in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight; further notes that access to multi-disciplinary specialist care improves overall health outcomes and survival for patients with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions; is deeply concerned that some patients are being denied access to multi-disciplinary specialist care; calls on the South Central Specialised Commissioning Group to meet with the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and the leading clinicians in the area; and further calls on the Specialised Commissioning Group, local primary care trusts and the Strategic Health Authority to take forward a review of neuromuscular services which will identify areas of best practice and gaps in NHS service provision; and praises the campaign led by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, local families, health professionals and experts in these conditions who will work together to fight for good access to clinically effective, first class, specialised neuromuscular services across the NHS South Central region.","date":"2009-05-05","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38561","proposer":"11427","edm":"1400","session":"2008-09","title":"Online Support For Hospital Patients And Relatives","text":"That this House warmly welcomes the establishment of JustVisiting.com, a not-for-profit company which aims to celebrate and support patient care and develop an online community to unite friends and families when a relative is in hospital; notes that it is a completely secure, confidential, easy to use and easily accessible website; further notes that it has the support as patrons of author Bill Bryson and former Chief Medical Officer and Chair of the National Cancer Research Institute, Professor Sir Kenneth Calman; and congratulates Gateshead Council and the local NHS Trust for their support of this innovative idea.","date":"2009-04-30","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38496","proposer":"10141","edm":"1341","session":"2008-09","title":"Breast Cancer Mortality","text":"That this House welcomes the fact that the number of women dying from breast cancer has fallen to its lowest level since records began; recognises the Government commitment to the NHS and improvements in chemotherapy, radiotherapy and screening have all contributed to this; and congratulates the Government in promising to extend screening to include all women aged 47 to 73 years of age by 2012.","date":"2009-04-24","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38493","proposer":"10095","edm":"1296A1","session":"2008-09","title":"Margaret Haywood And Standards Of Care","text":"at end add `including the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust and the University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust.'.","date":"2009-04-23","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38466","proposer":"12016","edm":"1315","session":"2008-09","title":"40 YEARS OF THE PARKINSON'S DISEASE SOCIETY: FUNDING RESEARCH FOR A CURE","text":"That this House celebrates the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Parkinson's Disease Society; applauds the all-round support the society gives to the 120,000 people living with Parkinson's disease in the UK and in particular its contribution to advances in Parkinson's disease research; congratulates the society on the commitment of over 40 million of charitable funding into research to date, which has contributed to major breakthroughs such as the discovery of two of the genes associated with inherited Parkinson's disease and the development of highly effective drug treatments for Parkinson's disease; commends the society on opening one of the first Parkinson's disease-dedicated brain banks in the world which provides vital clues in understanding what goes wrong when nerve cells in the brain die; wholeheartedly supports its vision of continuing to fund research until the discovery of a cure for Parkinson's disease; and calls on the Government to continue its support for voluntary sector research grants through funds such as the Charity Research Support Fund.","date":"2009-04-22","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38469","proposer":"10518","edm":"1318","session":"2008-09","title":"Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Treatment Campaign","text":"That this House welcomes the announcement by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) that it has, following an outcry from patient groups and clinicians and with the agreement of Ministers, removed from its work programme the proposed appraisal of drugs for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PH); notes that 75 per cent. of PH patients are now alive two years after diagnosis and that if the earlier, preliminary, recommendations from NICE had been carried out, it would have been a sentence of death for a significant number of the PH patient community; further notes that these lifesaving treatments are subject to national specialist commissioning arrangements and are only available in eight specialist and world-renowned PH centres in the UK; is pleased that NICE and Ministers recognise that NICE could not add value to this existing guidance and so removed it from the work programme; congratulates the Pulmonary Hypertension Association UK on its campaign to ensure patients have access to these lifesaving drugs; and congratulates Ministers and NICE for taking a common sense approach to this issue.","date":"2009-04-22","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38473","proposer":"11823","edm":"1322","session":"2008-09","title":"West Midlands Muscle Group Launch","text":"That this House welcomes the launch of the West Midlands Muscle Group; notes that the new group is led by local families and people affected by muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions who will campaign to improve access to essential specialist care and support; is concerned that a new report published by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign illustrates serious problems affecting the 5,500 people with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions in the West Midlands; further notes that access to multi-disciplinary specialist care improves overall health outcomes and survival for patients with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions; is deeply concerned that some patients are being denied access to multi-disciplinary specialist care; congratulates the West Midlands Specialised Commissioning Group, local primary care trusts and Strategic Health Authority on their plans to take forward a review of neuromuscular services which will identify areas of best practice and gaps in NHS service provision; and praises the campaign led by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, local families, health professionals and experts in these conditions who will work together to fight for good access to clinically effective, first class, specialised neuromuscular services across the West Midlands.","date":"2009-04-22","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38483","proposer":"10240","edm":"1332","session":"2008-09","title":"Multiple Sclerosis","text":"That this House congratulates the MS Society, MS Trust, MS Resource Centre and MS Therapy Centre for their outstanding work in supporting people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) across the UK; but notes with concern the results of a recent YouGov survey that revealed common myths and misconceptions among the general public about how MS affects people's lives; regrets that only one in four people know that MS is most commonly diagnosed in people aged 25 to 34 years old and that 40 per cent. of the public were unable to name a single symptom associated with MS; but commends MS Awareness Week, taking place from 27 April to 3 May 2009, for helping to address these misconceptions about the often variable and fluctuating nature of multiple sclerosis.","date":"2009-04-22","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38452","proposer":"10144","edm":"1304","session":"2008-09","title":"Durham Primary Care Trust","text":"That this House notes the commitment demonstrated by the Durham Primary Care Trust (PCT) towards carers in Durham; congratulates the Trust in ring-fencing funds to provide short breaks for Durham carers; and calls on all PCTs in England to follow the example of the Durham PCT so that these much valued but underpaid carers receive the recognition and support they so richly deserve.","date":"2009-04-21","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38434","proposer":"10080","edm":"1296","session":"2008-09","title":"Margaret Haywood And Standards Of Care","text":"That this House supports nurse Margaret Haywood who raised issues of concern around poor patient care; believes that Margaret was justified in exposing the worrying conditions at her local hospital and that the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) was wrong to strike her off the nursing register; notes the e-petition in support of Margaret Haywood organised by the Royal College of Nursing; calls on the NMC to reverse its decision; and further calls on the Government to take steps to ensure that the procedures and protection afforded to whistleblowers are understood and applied by all in positions of responsibility in the NHS.","date":"2009-04-20","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38405","proposer":"10147","edm":"1280","session":"2008-09","title":"Health Support In School","text":"That this House notes with considerable concern that the health of around a million children with specified health conditions, including asthma, cancer, coeliac disease, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, epilepsy, heart conditions, HIV, mental health problems, multiple sclerosis, sickle cell disease and conditions that can cause stroke, is put at risk because they are not receiving sufficient support at school; further notes that poor support at school stops children from fulfilling their potential; recognises that while guidance on medicines in schools remains voluntary, inequality of experience will continue; and acknowledges that by providing better support, children with medical needs will have improved health outcomes and reduce the financial burden on the NHS.","date":"2009-04-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38397","proposer":"10650","edm":"1273","session":"2008-09","title":"Supply Of Harm Reduction Products To Drug Users","text":"That this House notes that section 9A of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 was intended to prevent the commercial sale of kits and equipment for the preparation and consumption of illicit drugs; further notes that there have only ever been a handful of prosecutions for the commercial sale of drug kits and paraphernalia since 1986 due to the ambiguous nature of section 9A, leading many police forces to abandon enforcement; further notes that on each of the two occasions that the Act has been amended since the insertion of section 9A in 1986 to incorporate newly-developed harm reduction interventions, each amendment has involved a lengthy process of campaigning and legislative change; is concerned that section 9A currently prevents legitimate harm reduction services from providing a number of otherwise innocuous products to their drug-using clients because these items are not explicitly permitted in the legislation; and therefore calls on the Government to consider either a general exemption for all harm reduction products supplied by drug treatment providers and healthcare professionals, or the repeal of section 9A.","date":"2009-04-01","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38285","proposer":"10349","edm":"1165","session":"2008-09","title":"Mid Staffordshire Nhs Foundation Trust","text":"That this House calls for an independent inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 into the failings of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.","date":"2009-03-24","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38218","proposer":"11245","edm":"1107","session":"2008-09","title":"Archer Inquiry Into Contaminated Blood And Blood Products","text":"That this House congratulates Lord Archer on his Independent Public Inquiry into Contaminated Blood and Blood Products; welcomes his recommendations on forms of relief for the haemophilia community; notes with concern that these forms of relief are restricted to that community and therefore discriminate against other patient groups that have been similarly affected; and calls on the Government to extend the scope of the relief to include all other patient groups which have been infected.","date":"2009-03-17","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38227","proposer":"10518","edm":"1116","session":"2008-09","title":"Destination 2020 Campaign","text":"That this House notes that despite excellent progress in the last decade, cardiac and vascular conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke and kidney disease, remain the number one cause of death and disability in the UK; further notes that this will be the major health challenge of the next decade, affecting over four million people in England alone, and should be prioritised as such, particularly given the projected growth of acute and chronic conditions attributable to the ageing population and an increase in risk factors such as obesity; welcomes the launch of Destination 2020: A plan for cardiac and vascular health, led by the Cardio and Vascular Coalition, which sets out key aims and principles to plan for cardiac and vascular health for the next decade; and calls on the Government to work with the voluntary sector to plan strategically, using the Destination 2020 vision, to prevent premature cardiac and vascular conditions where possible, and to ensure that the best treatment and care is available to those people who are affected.","date":"2009-03-17","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38181","proposer":"11869","edm":"1073","session":"2008-09","title":"Muscular Dystrophy Services In The South West","text":"That this House congratulates the NHS South West Specialised Commissioning Group on their announcement of a new \u00c2\u00a31 million Neuromuscular Strategy; notes that this will serve the 5,000 people living in the South West affected by muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions; further notes that the investment is the result of a 12 month review in response to the publication of the Building on the Foundations report by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign in December 2007 which highlighted that inadequate service provision for people affected by these progressive muscle-wasting conditions living in the South West of England was leading to premature deaths and poor standards of care; calls on specialised commissioning groups across the country to follow the lead of the South West; and praises the campaign led by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, local families, health professionals and experts in these conditions who worked together to fight for fair access to clinically effective, first class, specialised neuromuscular services across the South West.","date":"2009-03-12","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38033","proposer":"10614","edm":"951","session":"2008-09","title":"Disposal Of Needles By Diabetics","text":"That this House notes with concern the difficulties diabetics have disposing of the 900 million needles used each year to inject insulin; identifies the inconvenience and expense associated with council collections of used needles; further notes the lack of a nationwide policy on the safe disposal of diabetes needles; condemns the fact that some pharmacies only accept needles from users of illicit drugs; and calls on the Government to legislate to ensure that GPs and pharmacies accept used needles from diabetics.","date":"2009-03-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38045","proposer":"10462","edm":"963","session":"2008-09","title":"Archer Report Into Contaminated Blood And Blood Products","text":"That this House welcomes the publication of the Archer Report on the use of contaminated blood and blood products in NHS treatments and hopes that the victims of the use of such products will receive swift and appropriate recompense; and calls on the Government to make a full and speedy response to the report's findings and to make a commitment to implement its recommendations as soon as possible.","date":"2009-03-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38047","proposer":"10462","edm":"965","session":"2008-09","title":"Pathogen Inactivation For Blood And Blood Products","text":"That this House welcomes the Archer Report into the use of contaminated blood and blood products in the NHS; notes that the process of pathogen inactivation kills blood borne pathogens such as HIV-1\/2, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, and in addition inactivates a range of new and emerging pathogens for which there are currently no blood screening tests and which are currently the cause of serious concern to public health authorities, including avian flu virus, H5N1, west Nile virus, SARS, chikungunya, dengue and influenza virus, H1N1; expresses concern at the extended length of the review of the safety of blood, tissues and organs; and therefore calls on the Government without further delay to adopt pathogen inactivation for all blood products in both civil and military use.","date":"2009-03-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38026","proposer":"10098","edm":"844A1","session":"2008-09","title":"Oncology Services On Merseyside","text":"leave out `the oncology department of Clatterbridge Hospital' and insert `Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology'.","date":"2009-03-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"38027","proposer":"10098","edm":"844A2","session":"2008-09","title":"Oncology Services On Merseyside","text":"leave out from `Liverpool;' to end and add `and believes that the expansion of such services should be driven by a desire to serve best the interests of patients with cancer across the whole of the region and be subject to a detailed options appraisal and business case.'.","date":"2009-03-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37961","proposer":"11869","edm":"882","session":"2008-09","title":"Organ Donation","text":"That this House welcomes the recent doubling of the number of registered organ donors to 16 million, but is concerned that this still only constitutes 26 per cent. of the population; is encouraged by research from UK Transplant, which indicates up to 90 per cent. of the population are supportive of organ donation, but is worried that this is not reflected in current donation levels; notes that in the period of April 2008 to February 2009 2,278 people received transplants but 7,875 are still on the waiting list; further notes that 1,000 people a year die whilst waiting for a transplant; supports the right of each individual to refuse to donate their organs after death and to have that wish respected; believes that the best means of respecting those wishes and increasing the number of lives that could be saved by organ donation is to presume consent through an opt-out system; stresses that such an opt-out system would be founded on stringent safeguards including the exclusion of under 18s and respect for the family's wishes as advocated by the Organ Donation (Presumed Consent) Bill; hopes that the Bill will provide a means to increase awareness and debate surrounding organ donation, including in schools and homes across the country; urges all hon. and right hon. Members to support the Bill at its Second Reading on 13 March 2009; and in the meantime encourages all UK citizens to sign up for the NHS Organ Donation Register.","date":"2009-02-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37919","proposer":"10339","edm":"844","session":"2008-09","title":"Oncology Services On Merseyside","text":"That this House recognises the excellent work of the oncology department of Clatterbridge Hospital; notes the demand for further oncology services in Liverpool; believes expansion of oncology services in Liverpool is compatible with the existing services at Clatterbridge; supports the expansion of oncology services at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, and at the University Hospital, Aintree; and anticipates comprehensive provision of those services for patients across the whole of Merseyside.","date":"2009-02-23","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37872","proposer":"10586","edm":"751A1","session":"2008-09","title":"Funding For Nhs In Scotland","text":"leave out from `believes' to `service' and insert `made possible by the generosity of resources allocated by the Barnett formula'.","date":"2009-02-12","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37842","proposer":"10571","edm":"782","session":"2008-09","title":"PURCHASE OF PRESCRIPTION-ONLY MEDICINES FROM UNREGULATED SOURCES AND MEN'S HEALTH","text":"That this House notes that men are more likely than women to buy prescription-only drugs without a prescription from unregulated websites and that such drugs will often be counterfeit; further notes that men are less likely to visit a GP for professional advice and that buying drugs online risks a misdiagnosis; believes that steps should be taken to improve men's awareness of the risks of buying drugs online and that primary care should be more accessible to men in order that they can seek professional advice and, when needed, an appropriate prescription; and supports the current cinema advertising campaign highlighting the dangers of buying such drugs that has been backed by the pharmaceutical industry, charities and the regulator.","date":"2009-02-11","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37845","proposer":"10455","edm":"785","session":"2008-09","title":"Free Prescriptions In England","text":"That this House notes that the principle that NHS care should be free at the point of delivery has been repeatedly endorsed but has not been delivered as far as many patients in England between the ages of 19 and 60 years is concerned; welcomes the extension of free prescriptions to cancer patients, but considers that attempts to produce a rational list of medical conditions which will qualify sufferers to free prescriptions are doomed to failure; and urges the Government to commit itself to the abolition of prescription charges as soon as possible, and until that can be achieved, to extend free prescriptions to all people in receipt of incapacity benefit, employment and support allowance and disability living allowance.","date":"2009-02-11","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37808","proposer":"14137","edm":"751","session":"2008-09","title":"Funding For Nhs In Scotland","text":"That this House welcomes the Scottish Government's record funding for the NHS in Scotland; believes that this underlines the SNP Government's commitment to a publicly-owned health service; recognises that this funding means health boards will have the resources they need to progress their plans and offer a first-class service to patients across Scotland; and recognises that, with nearly \u00c2\u00a3400 million committed to NHS building projects, it has been demonstrated that the Scottish Government will do everything within its power to support sectors of the economy like construction that are suffering most during the recession.","date":"2009-02-10","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37760","proposer":"10170","edm":"706","session":"2008-09","title":"Kidney Cancer Drugs","text":"That this House welcomes the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Final Decision Determination granting access to Sutent for first-time patients with kidney cancer and expresses the hope that the NHS will implement these recommendations swiftly; is concerned that NICE has issued draft recommendations rejecting the use of three other key drugs used in treating kidney cancer, Nexavar, Avastin and Torisel; recognises that these treatments are not interchangeable and that not all patients with kidney cancer are suitable for treatment with Sutent; notes with concern that this leaves many patients without access to the latest treatments, which have been recognised as clinically effective by NICE; seeks to ensure that primary care trusts are aware that this is not final guidance and that patients should still be able to access these treatments through exceptional case processes; further notes with concern that the additional guidance on end-of-life medicines issued by NICE to the appraisal committees does not appear to have supported the use of these four key treatments options for patients; and calls on NICE seriously to reconsider this guidance and allow access to all of these important, life-extending treatments as soon as possible.","date":"2009-02-05","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37709","proposer":"10304","edm":"658","session":"2008-09","title":"End Of Life Treatments","text":"That this House congratulates the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) for introducing additional considerations for the appraisal of life extending, end of life treatments; warmly welcomes the positive outcomes for patients from these reforms; further welcomes the outcomes from one of the first such appraisals to use these additional considerations which resulted in a preliminary recommendation to make lenalidomide available for use in the NHS to treat multiple myeloma; further congratulates the patient groups who championed these reforms, including Myeloma UK and the Rarer Cancers Forum; recognises the significant contribution made by the recently-deceased Chief Executive of the Rarer Cancers Forum, Penny Wilson-Webb; and commends the manufacturers of lenalidomide, Celgene, for negotiating the pricing system which enabled NICE to make this positive recommendation.","date":"2009-02-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37694","proposer":"11917","edm":"644","session":"2008-09","title":"Queen Elizabeth Ii Hospital","text":"That this House notes the report of the College of Emergency Medicine, the Way Ahead 2008 to 2012, which concluded that there is no evidence of the clinical or financial benefit of the urgent care model; further notes that the Government's proposals for such a model are clinically unproven and against the principle of patient choice of access to proper emergency care; is gravely concerned at the decision to downgrade services at Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, including the closure of its 24-hour accident and emergency department and loss of consultant-led maternity services; applauds the cross-party efforts of the Hospital SOS Taskforce in Welwyn Garden City to keep accident and emergency, maternity, surgery and other medical services operating at the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital; and regrets the shortcomings of the consultation process and the decision by the Secretary of State for Health to approve the recommendations of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel, which jeopardises the future of Queen Elizabeth II as a general district hospital.","date":"2009-02-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37585","proposer":"11784","edm":"556","session":"2008-09","title":"Maternity Services In Greater Manchester","text":"That this House notes the decision of the Secretary of State for Health following the conclusions of the Healthy Futures and Making it Better consultation documents, including the closure of Fairfield, Trafford and Hope Hospitals and Rochdale Infirmary maternity units; further notes that when the aforementioned consultation was concluded 31,100 births were predicted across Greater Manchester in 2007 yet 35,030 took place; further notes that 2,700 births were predicted in Rochdale for 2007 yet 3,113 took place; and urges the Government to reconsider the closure of these maternity services which are affecting a much greater number of expectant mothers in Greater Manchester than predicted.","date":"2009-01-22","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37553","proposer":"11626","edm":"526","session":"2008-09","title":"Hemel Hempstead Hospital","text":"That this House notes the report of the College of Emergency Medicine, The Way Ahead 2008 to 2012, which concluded that there is no evidence of the clinical or financial benefit of the urgent care model; further notes that the Government's proposals are clinically unproven and against the principle of patient choice of access to proper emergency care; is gravely concerned at the decision to downgrade services at Hemel Hempstead Hospital, including the closure of its 24-hour accident and emergency department and loss of maternity services; regrets the shortcomings of the consultation process, which has jeopardised the future of Hemel Hempstead as an acute general hospital; and deeply regrets the outcome of the judicial review which did not rule against this planned downgrading.","date":"2009-01-21","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37567","proposer":"11032","edm":"540","session":"2008-09","title":"Availability Of Photodynamic Therapy","text":"That this House is increasingly aware that patient demand for photodynamic therapy (PDT) for the treatment of a range of cancers and other conditions is not being met by the NHS; notes that the treatment is much less invasive and less traumatic for patients compared to surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, is usually substantially cheaper for the NHS, and that a growing body of evidence points to PDT's impressive survival rates over and above other treatment options; further notes that increased campaigning in the media by former PDT patients and celebrities is only going to increase this demand; and urgently calls on the Government and the Department of Health to take up the offer from the Killing Cancer charity to equip a network of 25 regional treatment and research centres to jointly fund new trials with the charity and to actively recommend and encourage NHS trusts to make available the existing NICE-approved PDT treatments to patients across the UK.","date":"2009-01-21","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37530","proposer":"11489","edm":"506","session":"2008-09","title":"Haul","text":"That this House congratulates HAUL, a Ceredigion-based charity that creates artwork for healthcare settings in the county, for over 10 years of outstanding work; acknowledges the importance of art and other cultural facilities in making hospital stays as comfortable as possible; notes the enthusiasm of patients, staff and visitors towards the activities of HAUL, with over 70 people taking part in creating artwork for this year's Big Draw event; and wishes the charity well in its future endeavours.","date":"2009-01-19","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37490","proposer":"10214","edm":"466","session":"2008-09","title":"Implementation Of Improving Outcomes Guidance By Cancer Networks","text":"That this House notes the findings of the audit of Improving Outcomes Guidance carried out by the Prostate Cancer Charter for Action, to what outcome?; expresses concern that fewer than one in four cancer networks is fully on course to implement items of Improving Outcomes Guidance across all cancer types; further expresses concern that 11 cancer networks have failed to meet the December 2007 deadline of implementing Improving Outcomes in Urological Cancers; further notes that 2,500 deaths from cancer a year could potentially be prevented if all cancer networks were fully on course to implement items of Improving Outcomes Guidance across all cancer types; further notes that 300 deaths from prostate cancer a year could potentially be saved if all cancer networks implemented Improving Outcomes in Urological Cancers; and calls on the Government to ensure both that all cancer networks implement Improving Outcomes in Urological Cancers as soon as possible, and that all cancer networks are on course to have implemented all items of Improving Outcomes Guidance in line with the timetables set out in the Department of Health's Cancer Reform Strategy.","date":"2009-01-15","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37481","proposer":"10415","edm":"458","session":"2008-09","title":"Equality Bill And Age Discrimination","text":"That this House notes the Government's manifesto commitment to bring in a single comprehensive Equality Bill within the lifetime of this Parliament; welcomes the Government's commitment to banning age discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities and services as part of this Bill; urges all hon. Members to support this Bill; recognises that health and social care is one of the key areas in which older people face unfair discrimination; is concerned that this discrimination has a major impact on their quality of life and, in extreme circumstances, can deny them potentially life-saving treatment; understands that the Government intends to introduce provisions on age discrimination in health and social care by secondary legislation; and is concerned that the provision for this and detailed guidance should be brought forward as soon as possible after Second Reading of the Bill and not be subject to a lengthy delay before enactment.","date":"2009-01-14","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37449","proposer":"10455","edm":"429","session":"2008-09","title":"BRITISH CARDIAC PATIENTS ASSOCIATION'S CARDIOVASCULAR PATIENTS BILL OF RIGHTS","text":"That this House welcomes the launch of the Cardiovascular Patients Bill of Rights by the British Cardiac Patients Association; applauds the progress made to date on tackling cardiovascular disease, including heart disease, stroke and peripheral arterial disease leading to a 40 per cent. reduction in deaths since 1997; notes the serious cost of cardiovascular disease in the UK both in terms of ill health and economic impact; further notes the need to ensure that health services provide the best possible standards of care for cardiovascular patients throughout their patient journey, from emergency care to treatment and rehabilitation; and calls on the Government and health professionals to endorse and implement through the National Health Service the five fundamental rights for cardiovascular patients as set out in the Cardiovascular Patients Bill of Rights.","date":"2009-01-13","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37455","proposer":"10523","edm":"435","session":"2008-09","title":"Chase Farm Hospital (No. 2)","text":"That this House welcomes the fact that for the first time in 20 years the future of Chase Farm Hospital as a whole is secure; but draws the Secretary of State's attention to the fact that both the residents of Enfield and all their elected representatives are opposed to the loss of any services at Chase Farm Hospital, particularly in relation to the provision of accident and emergency and maternity services.","date":"2009-01-13","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37397","proposer":"10295","edm":"381","session":"2008-09","title":"Access To Nhs Dentists","text":"That this House notes the difficulties residents in Chorley and other areas of the UK are having in gaining access to dentists taking NHS patients; recognises that money has been made available from central government to increase the number of dentists accepting NHS patients but that primary care trusts are not taking the necessary steps to apply these funds to improve access to dentists; and calls on Ministers to put pressure on primary care trusts in order to ensure that the funds the Government has made available are spent on providing better access to dentists for NHS patients within the trusts' respective local areas.","date":"2009-01-12","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37378","proposer":"11573","edm":"363","session":"2008-09","title":"Chase Farm Hospital","text":"That this House notes the report of the College of Emergency Medicine, the Way Ahead 2008-2012, which concluded that there is no evidence of the clinical or financial benefit of the urgent care model; further notes that the Government's proposals are clinically unproven and against the principle of patient choice of access to proper emergency care; is gravely concerned at the decision to downgrade services at Chase Farm Hospital, including the closure of its 24-hour accident and emergency department and loss of consultant-led maternity services; regrets the shortcomings of the consultation process and the decision by the Secretary of State for Health to approve the recommendations of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel, which jeopardises the future of Chase Farm as a general district hospital; and welcomes the decision of Enfield Council to seek a judicial review of the Secretary of State for Health's decision.","date":"2008-12-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37359","proposer":"10258","edm":"348","session":"2008-09","title":"Prevention Of Healthcare Associated Infections","text":"That this House regrets that the best estimate the Government has provided for the cost to the NHS of treating and preventing healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) is based on data that is 14 years old; notes that recent reductions in superbug infection rates are modest drops from record high levels; understands that the NHS is considering providing infection-control packs to only those patients who already have MRSA; regrets that such measures are designed to deal with infection rather than prevent it; further notes that it costs up to \u00c2\u00a310,000 more to treat each patient that contracts an HCAI, which affect an estimated one in 10 patients, and that in consequence the NHS spends up to \u00c2\u00a31,000 per in-patient on treating HCAIs irrespective of whether the in-patient contracts an infection; believes that, in order to prevent HCAIs, it is essential that the NHS provides a comprehensive range of proven personal antimicrobial products and a guide to infection control to every NHS in-patient; calls upon the Government to, at the very least, undertake widespread trials of such an initiative, report the findings to the House and extend the initiative throughout the NHS if the trial is successful; and recognises that this preventative scheme, if implemented, would cost a small fraction of the amount spent on HCAI treatment.","date":"2008-12-17","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37367","proposer":"11245","edm":"356","session":"2008-09","title":"Superbugs","text":"That this House is concerned that, despite recent falls, infection rates of MRSA, C. difficile, Norovirus and other superbugs remain high, and there is considerable public anxiety about this issue; notes that as everyone can carry and spread superbugs, patients and visitors as well as hospital staff have a part to play in helping to tackle infection; believes that patients should individually be provided with the means and information to protect themselves and others when they go into hospital; and calls upon the Government to provide a comprehensive range of personal antimicrobial products that are proven to kill superbugs and a hygiene guide to every NHS in-patient prior to admission, or as soon after admission as possible as this will help reduce infection rates, empower patients and instil good hygiene practices at a fraction of the financial cost of treating those who contract superbugs.","date":"2008-12-17","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37250","proposer":"11783","edm":"249","session":"2008-09","title":"React Charity","text":"That this House commends the charity React (Rapid Effective Assistance for Children with Potentially Terminal Illness); applauds their efforts to improve the quality of life for financially disadvantaged children with life-limiting illnesses living in the United Kingdom; notes their calculated estimate that there are up to 7,500 terminally ill children nationwide whose families struggle to afford the costly care they require; supports their belief that every child should have comfort, dignity and the opportunity to participate in life as fully as possible; recognises the fact that they respond quickly, practically and sensitively to supply a wide range of equipment from specialised wheelchairs, beds, baths and mobility aids to essential everyday items like washing machines and tumble dryers; and applauds their ongoing efforts to raise awareness and reach out to an even greater number of terminally ill children across the United Kingdom who deserve a greater level of care.","date":"2008-12-11","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37256","proposer":"11427","edm":"255","session":"2008-09","title":"Muscular Dystrophy All-Party Parliamentary Group Inquiry","text":"That this House welcomes the launch of an inquiry into neuromuscular services by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Muscular Dystrophy; notes that the inquiry seeks to identify areas of best practice and gaps in service provision; acknowledges the importance of an inquiry after the publication of recent reports by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign revealing unacceptably wide geographical variations in the quality of and access to service provision; further notes that access to multi-disciplinary specialist care improves overall health outcomes and survival for patients with neuromuscular conditions; is deeply concerned that some patients are being denied access to essential health and social care services; and encourages the Department of Health to provide evidence to the inquiry.","date":"2008-12-11","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37267","proposer":"10557","edm":"266","session":"2008-09","title":"Support For Children With Diabetes","text":"That this House congratulates the 225 children who came to Westminster on 18 November 2008 to mark World Diabetes Day and to inform hon. Members about their experiences of living with diabetes; welcomes the Diabetes UK report Making All Children Matter which calls for the 20,000 children in the UK who have Type 1 diabetes to receive appropriate support in managing their condition at school; is concerned that the UK has the lowest percentage of children attaining good diabetes control in Europe, with 83 per cent. failing to achieve recommended blood glucose levels; is further concerned that many children are still not getting the support they need in school to administer their medication and are still having to rely on parents visiting the school because the school cannot or will not provide the necessary assistance; and calls on the Government to ensure that local authorities, primary care trusts and schools take immediate steps to make this assistance available so that all children with diabetes are supported to play a full part in school life.","date":"2008-12-11","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37268","proposer":"10240","edm":"267","session":"2008-09","title":"Ex-Service Personnel And Post Traumatic Stress Disorder In Prison","text":"That this House is concerned at the level of care given to ex-service personnel suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in prison; is disturbed by the fact that around \u00c2\u00a3340 million of taxpayers' money is spent keeping the 8,500 troops\/veterans inside the prison system yet they are not assessed or treated for PTSD; further notes that no research has been done by the Government into how many ex-service personnel in prison have PTSD; and urges the Government to do more to support ex-service personnel in prison.","date":"2008-12-11","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37272","proposer":"10258","edm":"271","session":"2008-09","title":"Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease","text":"That this House notes the 167 confirmed cases of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) in the UK, including three through blood transfusion, compared with three in total in the USA; congratulates and welcomes the work of Christine Lord, following the tragic death of her son Andy from vCJD at the age of 24, in establishing a website, www.justiceforandy.com, and producing a BBC South documentary Who Killed My Son which can be watched on www.justiceforandy.com; asks the BBC to screen the documentary nationwide; notes the death from vCJD of another six young people living within 25 miles of Portsmouth; further asks the Government to commission further research to establish common factors, such as school catering, among vCJD victims in South Hampshire as well as elsewhere in the country; further notes the Written Answer from the Minister of State for Health on 11 March 2008, giving a vCJD sub-clinical prevalence estimate of up to one in 1,400 of the population; and further asks that the Government completes its evaluation of screening for prions in blood supply and other possible measures to protect the blood supply as soon as possible, in light of the conclusions reported in the 15th annual report of the National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance Unit, that blood transfusion is beyond reasonable doubt a possible transmission route for vCJD.","date":"2008-12-11","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37274","proposer":"11784","edm":"273","session":"2008-09","title":"Diabetes Management In Schools","text":"That this House notes that the UK has the highest number of children with diabetes in Europe with 20,000 children below the age of 15 years diagnosed; urges the Government to ensure that children suffering from diabetes receive vital checks required for good diabetes management; further notes with concern the recent Diabetes UK campaign highlighting the lack of support for children at school in the management of their diabetes; further urges the Government to aid schools in ensuring children with diabetes have a safe environment and are able to receive full access to medication and health monitoring in schools; and concludes that all schools should have trained staff to deal with medical emergencies concerning children suffering from diabetes to assist with and if required administer insulin injections and blood glucose tests.","date":"2008-12-11","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37224","proposer":"10614","edm":"226","session":"2008-09","title":"Leicester Royal Infirmary Diabetes Text Service","text":"That this House welcomes the first scheme in the country where diabetes sufferers can have their daily blood sugar levels monitored daily and can text their daily blood sugar level tests to a special number and have this information placed on a secure website which patients, parents and doctors can access; notes that it is vital that diabetics are aware of their blood sugar levels and can be assured by doctors through this service that they are within the normal boundaries; further notes that the aim of the pioneering project is to familiarise diabetics with how to effectively manage their condition; congratulates the Leicester Royal Infirmary for initiating the project; celebrates the use of technology in informing patients of their current health status; recognises that 2.2 million people in the UK are diabetes sufferers and that 750,000 diabetic people in the UK are undiagnosed; and further recognises that by 2010 there will be 66,000 people in Leicestershire alone with undiagnosed diabetes.","date":"2008-12-10","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37246","proposer":"10261","edm":"195A1","session":"2008-09","title":"Nhs Cervical Cancer Screening Programme","text":"leave out from `if' to end and add `the available evidence shows that this would save lives in a cost-effective manner.'.","date":"2008-12-10","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37189","proposer":"10333","edm":"195","session":"2008-09","title":"Nhs Cervical Cancer Screening Programme","text":"That this House believes that the NHS Cervical Cancer Screening Programme, which aims to reduce the number of women who develop invasive cervical cancer and the number of women who die from it, should review its current policy of only screening women over the age of 25 years old; and considers that the programme should examine the figures for cervical cancer incidences in women under 25 years old and offer routine cervical screening to women under 25 years old if such figures could be reduced by routine screening.","date":"2008-12-09","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37199","proposer":"10521","edm":"205","session":"2008-09","title":"Blood Transfusion For Members Of Hm Armed Forces","text":"That this House believes, in accordance with the Military Covenant, that HM Armed Forces deserve the best available healthcare at all times; notes that in January 2008, 18 injured UK soldiers were given US blood that had not been properly screened during life-saving transfusions; further notes that pathogen inactivation technology would have prevented such a risk and destroyed most blood-borne viruses such as HIV, HBV, Hepatitis B and C, SARs, avian influenza and others; further notes that it is already tried and tested, and is in use around the world; considers that such technology would be a more economic and safer option for the NHS and military blood supply chain services; and therefore calls on those responsible for the military blood supply chain to adopt pathogen inactivation.","date":"2008-12-09","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37214","proposer":"10142","edm":"220","session":"2008-09","title":"Complaints About Healthcare And Social Care Services","text":"That this House welcomes the establishment of the Care Quality Commission in April 2009; and requests that the Commission must enforce the principle that healthcare and social care providers are obliged to act upon comments and complaints about their services, must ensure complaints procedures are open, efficient, timely and accessible with independent support for complainants throughout all stages of the complaint, must ensure that areas of concern arising from complaints are fully acted upon and the procedures amended or introduced as a result of complaints are implemented, and in the event of failure by a care provider to meet these obligations, sanctions must be imposed by the Commission on that provider.","date":"2008-12-09","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37149","proposer":"10383","edm":"157","session":"2008-09","title":"Southern Cross Elderly Resident Homes In Hillingdon","text":"That this House notes with extreme concern the reports of the poor standards of care in the residential homes for the elderly owned by Southern Cross in the London Borough of Hillingdon, largely resulting from insufficient numbers of staff, working long hours without adequate support, management or training; further notes that Hillingdon Council and Primary Care Trust have at last suspended the placement of elderly people within these homes; and calls upon the Secretary of State for Health to launch an immediate investigation into care standards in these homes, and the role of the local authority in safeguarding the elderly residents in these settings, to take urgent action to protect the residents of the homes and to improve standards of care, including the withdrawal of contracts from Southern Cross.","date":"2008-12-08","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37162","proposer":"11707","edm":"170","session":"2008-09","title":"Provision Of Healthcare In Burnage","text":"That this House recognises that when planning permission was granted to Tesco to build a supermarket in Burnage, as a condition of the approval, Tesco was to build a new surgery for the Kingsway Medical Practice; notes with concern that the deadline of 4 April 2008 has passed and that, despite the best efforts of the Kingsway Medical Practice, Tesco has failed to start the work; regrets the delay in providing a new purpose-built surgery for the residents of Burnage; questions whether Tesco has reneged on its promise; and calls on Tesco to stop dragging its feet and to fulfil its obligations to the people of Burnage.","date":"2008-12-08","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37171","proposer":"11489","edm":"179","session":"2008-09","title":"Lymphoedema","text":"That this House notes that at least 100,000 people in the UK suffer from lymphoedema, a chronic swelling which can affect any part of the body; is aware that the condition can be a distressing side effect of cancer and its treatments, but also occurs far more commonly in people who have not suffered from cancer; further notes that, with access to a lymphoedema clinic and the support of a lymphoedema practitioner, patients can do much to manage and control their condition; notes with great concern that there is a postcode lottery in the treatment of lymphoedema; is disappointed that in Ceredigion and in many other areas, patients do not have access to an NHS-funded lymphoedema clinic; is concerned that often treatment is only available for patients who have lymphoedema following treatment for cancer; recognises the excellent work of the Lymphoedema Support Network, a charitable organisation that battles to raise the profile of this condition with insufficient access to public funds; and calls on the Government, in co-operation with the Scottish Executive and the Welsh Assembly Government, to do more to recognise this condition, and on local health boards and primary care trusts to give full recognition to lymphoedema in all its forms, and make sure treatment is available for all patients at a local level.","date":"2008-12-08","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37181","proposer":"11245","edm":"113A1","session":"2008-09","title":"Provision Of Public Lavatories","text":"at end add `and calls on local authorities which are considering closures of public lavatories to fully consult residents before any decisions are taken.'.","date":"2008-12-08","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37105","proposer":"11923","edm":"113","session":"2008-09","title":"Provision Of Public Lavatories","text":"That this House believes that the provision of public lavatories is a vital public service and notes with regret the closure of public lavatories over recent years; recognises that these closures have a particular impact on older and disabled people and those with young families; and calls on the Government to make the necessary resources available to enable local authorities to provide public lavatories.","date":"2008-12-04","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37120","proposer":"10383","edm":"128","session":"2008-09","title":"Public Meetings Of Nhs Foundation Trusts","text":"That this House notes with concern that NHS foundation trusts are not required in law to meet in public, with the result that decisions that have a significant and direct impact on the provision of health services to local communities can be made by a board of directors meeting in secret; considers that this practice flies in the face of the principles of openness and transparency in health policy making; and welcomes the campaign by The Community Voice to draw attention to this issue and to call for a change in the current legislation to require NHS foundation trusts to meet in public.","date":"2008-12-04","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36995","proposer":"10521","edm":"3","session":"2008-09","title":"Cystic Fibrosis And Prescription Charges","text":"That this House believes people with cystic fibrosis should not have to pay prescription charges.","date":"2008-12-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36997","proposer":"10521","edm":"5","session":"2008-09","title":"First Aid Education In Schools","text":"That this House welcomes the British Red Cross report, Life. Live It, on first aid in schools and the launch of its first aid education resource for teachers; notes that every year there are three million attendances at hospitals across the United Kingdom in cases where first aid skills could help; shares the view that in many health emergencies, interventions in the first few minutes, before the emergency services arrive, can make a crucial difference to the outcome of the casualty; believes that people in the UK should have basic first aid knowledge; further notes the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority consultation on the curriculum in secondary schools; and requests the Government to consider ways of promoting first aid education in schools.","date":"2008-12-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37006","proposer":"11420","edm":"14","session":"2008-09","title":"Hospital-Acquired Infection","text":"That this House recognises the trauma caused to patients and families by hospital-acquired infections such as MRSA and clostridium difficile; believes that there are examples the United Kingdom can learn from in other countries such as the Netherlands; recognises that this involves having sufficient beds to keep some empty and keep infected patients isolated from others; recognises that having medical staff travel in their work clothes also gives a risk of infection; requests that the tendency to blame patients for the spread of infection be resisted; and calls for an urgent review of whether reductions in bed numbers and planning for over 70 per cent. bed occupancy and other cost-saving measures are resulting in increased risk of hospital-acquired infection.","date":"2008-12-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37021","proposer":"11245","edm":"29","session":"2008-09","title":"Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment","text":"That this House congratulates the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society on its caring activities; notes the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Final Appraisal Document; is aware of the pain, and the medical and social problems, faced by people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis; further notes that effective treatment can save the NHS significant sums in the longer term; further notes that the NICE decision would deny 60,000 people with rheumatoid arthritis access to a range of anti-TNF drugs and could leave them facing high levels of pain, the possibility of more surgery and long-term disability; and therefore calls on the Government to ensure that anti-TNF drugs are available to rheumatoid arthritis sufferers according to their clinical needs.","date":"2008-12-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37023","proposer":"11245","edm":"31","session":"2008-09","title":"New Treatment For Prostate Cancer","text":"That this House welcomes reports of the success of early trials of Abiraterone in treating an aggressive and often fatal form of prostate cancer; notes that eight out of 10 patients who have advanced prostate cancer may see their tumours shrink and be relieved of pain simply by taking a daily pill; further notes that full trials will be undertaken and that the drug may be generally available in three or four years; further notes that this drug, if it proves its potential during full trials, could help 10,000 men who die from aggressive prostate cancer each year; and therefore calls on the Government to ensure all possible support is given to accelerate the trials and ensure that the drug is available at the earliest possible moment.","date":"2008-12-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37039","proposer":"10323","edm":"47","session":"2008-09","title":"Access To Treatments For Sarcoma Patients","text":"That this House notes that sarcoma is a cancer of connective tissue; further notes that around 3,000 people are diagnosed with sarcoma every year in the United Kingdom; believes that measures are needed to tackle the low levels of public and health professional awareness of the disease; welcomes the work of Sarcoma UK in raising awareness of the disease and supporting sarcoma patients and their families; recognises that there have been relatively few advances in sarcoma treatment; is encouraged by recent innovations in treatment; congratulates South Birmingham Primary Care Trust and other primary care trusts which have agreed to fund new treatments for sarcoma patients but is concerned that these are not universally available in the NHS; and urges the Government to take steps to ensure that appropriate treatments are universally available to all NHS sarcoma patients who need them.","date":"2008-12-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37049","proposer":"10527","edm":"57","session":"2008-09","title":"DIABETES UK'S YOUR VISION CAMPAIGN AND ACCESS TO RETINAL SCREENING","text":"That this House welcomes the Diabetes UK's campaign Your Vision; recognises that diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in the UK working age population; considers that all people with diabetes should have access to free annual retinal screening with a digital camera and that each primary care trust should have a systematic call and recall system to ensure that people with diabetes receive an annual letter inviting them for screening; notes with concern that Government targets, of all people with diabetes being offered free digital retinal screening by the end of 2007, were not met and as a result one in four, up to 470,000, people with diabetes in England, are needlessly being put at risk of losing their sight; further notes that retinal screening is one of the most cost-effective interventions known in medicine, with 90 per cent. of cases of retinopathy being treatable with early intervention; and calls on the Government to ensure that primary care trusts put in place the appropriate facilities and allocate the necessary budget to their screening programme to prevent people with diabetes from needlessly losing their sight.","date":"2008-12-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37053","proposer":"10527","edm":"61","session":"2008-09","title":"Five Year Anniversary Of The National Service Framework For Diabetes","text":"That this House recognises the five year anniversary of the National Service Framework (NSF) for Diabetes; regrets that although good practice exists it is not universal and there are significant numbers of people with diabetes who do not have access to the best possible treatment and care; further notes that failure to deliver on the standards in the NSF will mean that people with diabetes face a higher risk of complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness and lower-limb amputation; and therefore welcomes Diabetes UK's report, Five years - Half Way There?, that highlights some of the gaps; and calls on the Government to conduct a national review of what has been achieved to date and what needs to be prioritised in the next five years.","date":"2008-12-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37066","proposer":"10527","edm":"74","session":"2008-09","title":"Diabetes UK Measure Up Campaign","text":"That this House welcomes the Diabetes UK campaign Measure Up, which aims to raise awareness of diabetes; recognises that there are currently an estimated 750,000 people in the UK who have diabetes who are not aware of their condition; notes that the campaign aims to identify at least 25 per cent. of these people; further notes the seriousness of diabetes, which if left untreated can lead to blindness, kidney disease, heart attacks and other life-threatening complications; supports the key messages of the campaign that if you are a white or black male and your waist is 37 inches or more, a woman and your waist is 31.5 inches or more, or a South Asian man and your waist is 35 inches or more, you could need a test for diabetes; observes that keeping people with the condition healthier will also reduce the long-term impact on limited NHS resources; expresses its concern over Department of Health figures which show that only 72 per cent. of the diabetic population has been diagnosed across the UK; further notes that some primary care trusts have only diagnosed around half of their diabetic population; and calls on the Government to encourage primary care trusts to spell out their plans for early identification of people with diabetes in their local area.","date":"2008-12-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37070","proposer":"10527","edm":"78","session":"2008-09","title":"Access To Inhaled Insulin Products For Diabetics","text":"That this House disagrees with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's technology appraisal document which proposes the restriction of access to inhaled insulin products on the NHS to patients with a proven injection phobia diagnosed by a psychiatrist or psychologist; is concerned that diabetes sufferers often delay treatment for as long as four years due to a fear of injections, risking the complications of heart disease, blindness and kidney failure, a situation that will only be compounded by attaching the unfortunate stigma of mental illness to those with a phobia of needles; expresses concern at the additional workload that will be placed on already overstretched NHS psychiatric services; and believes that the judgement of expert clinicians should be trusted in managing each individual patient's condition.","date":"2008-12-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37083","proposer":"10527","edm":"92","session":"2008-09","title":"Access To Insulin Pump Therapy For People With Type 1 Diabetes","text":"That this House welcomes Diabetes UK's campaign to end the postcode lottery for insulin pump therapy; believes that making a small change through providing the technology can make a big difference to the lives of people with diabetes; notes the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommendation that insulin pump therapy should be available as a treatment option for people with Type 1 diabetes in cases where multiple dose insulin therapy has failed, and the person is willing and able to use insulin pump therapy effectively; notes with concern that this guidance is not being adhered to locally in a uniform manner; is aware that currently only two per cent. of people with Type 1 diabetes use pumps in the UK, compared to 10 to 20 per cent. in other European member states and around 15 to 20 per cent. in the United States; believes that the use of pumps can have cost benefits to the local NHS through a reduction in primary care contracts and a reduction in hospital admissions and hospital outpatient contracts; and calls on the Government to oversee the implementation of NICE guidance by primary care organisations to end the postcode lottery.","date":"2008-12-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"37094","proposer":"10608","edm":"104","session":"2008-09","title":"Heart Care For Patients With Diabetes","text":"That this House recognises that coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in people with type 2 diabetes - affecting 75 per cent. of patients; further recognises that people with diabetes have up to a fivefold increased risk of CHD due to prolonged, poorly controlled blood glucose levels; notes that patients are not receiving the optimal medical treatment as cardiovascular disease is not being properly identified; welcomes the willingness of cardiologists and diabetologists across the UK to assess and adopt the best treatment options for patients with diabetes; and calls on the Government to consider expanding its collaboration with healthcare professionals to ensure all patients with diabetes are screened for CHD and receive the most suitable medical and revascularisation therapy.","date":"2008-12-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36955","proposer":"11489","edm":"2538","session":"2007-08","title":"British Heart Foundation In Wales","text":"That this House congratulates the British Heart Foundation for the work it does in Wales in funding 31 nurses, funding research on heart disorders, providing information and fund-raising; notes that 12,000 people a year die from heart or circulatory disease in Wales, killing more than any other disease; further notes that in Wales there are nearly 250 Heartstart UK schemes, training 19,000 school children to save lives between June 2006 and June 2007; applauds the outstanding contribution to local and national heart services made by the British Heart Foundation; and wishes the charity well in its future work.","date":"2008-11-19","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36931","proposer":"10571","edm":"2516","session":"2007-08","title":"National Copd Audit 2008","text":"That this House notes that 19th November 2008 will be World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Day; welcomes the improvement over the last five years in resources and provision of services to patients with COPD as observed by the National COPD Audit 2008, carried out by the Royal College of Physicians, the British Thoracic Society, the British Lung Foundation and funded by the Health Foundation; further notes, with concern, that while some units offer excellent service delivery, others often fall short of national quality standards; believes that there is a specific need to improve palliative care and provide more information about the disease and services for patients with COPD; and calls on the Government to ensure that quality indicators and audit of services are included within the National Service Framework for COPD.","date":"2008-11-18","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36790","proposer":"10226","edm":"2398","session":"2007-08","title":"Rarer Cancers Forum Reports","text":"That this House welcomes the investigations by the Rarer Cancers Forum into the processes used by the NHS to determine exceptional funding requests for treatment; congratulates the Rarer Cancers Forum on the reports resulting from its investigations, Taking Exception and Exceptional England?; expresses concern at the large variation in assessing applications for exceptional funding between different NHS organisations identified in the reports; expresses further concern that a patient is less likely to make an exceptional funding request if they live in a deprived area; notes the finding in Exceptional England? that the average cost to a cancer patient of paying privately for a top-up treatment is in excess of \u00c2\u00a320,000; and calls on the Government to investigate the viability of implementing each of the recommendations in the reports so that all patients with cancer are provided with clinically-effective cancer treatments on the NHS if they have been recommended by their doctor.","date":"2008-11-03","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36784","proposer":"11032","edm":"2395","session":"2007-08","title":"Photo Dynamic Therapy","text":"That this House notes the remarkable work of University College Hospital, London and other UK hospitals in developing photo dynamic therapy for the treatment of a range of cancers and other conditions; further notes that the treatment is much less invasive and less traumatic for the patient compared to surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, that evidence points to impressive survival rates and that treatment is highly cost-effective; nevertheless notes that photo dynamic therapy is only available in a very small number of NHS hospitals, and that availability is falling; further notes that the Richards' Cancer Review recommended a systematic review of photo dynamic therapy with a view to promoting and extending the use of the therapy across the NHS; expresses regret that progress on this review appears to be moving very slowly; and calls on the Government to take urgent steps to develop the potential for this therapy in the NHS.","date":"2008-10-30","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36756","proposer":"13712","edm":"2369","session":"2007-08","title":"COMPENSATION FOR SUFFERERS OF MINER'S KNEE","text":"That this House recognises the chronic condition known as Miner's Knee, affecting thousands of miners; expresses concern that sufferers experience pain, swelling, clicking and locking of the knee as a result of repetitive work under cramped and restrictive conditions; further notes that many miners spent up to six hours a day crawling in an area of no less than three feet high; recognises that many miners have made claims for compensation; praises the efforts of the National Union of Mineworkers for providing funding for litigation cases; and calls on the Government to consider recognising the condition and providing compensation for miners for the sacrifices they have made.","date":"2008-10-29","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36757","proposer":"11707","edm":"2370","session":"2007-08","title":"Bliss Baby Report 2008","text":"That this House welcomes the release of the Bliss Baby Report 2008; recognises the hard work put in by staff in neonatal units across the country; praises the campaigning efforts undertaken by Bliss to raise awareness of neonatal healthcare issues; is deeply concerned by the desperate shortage, highlighted in the report of specialist nurses in neonatal care units; further recognises the stress and anxiety that staff shortages and lack of adequate treatment capacity in this area creates for staff and parents alike; is worried by the high transfer rates of sick and premature babies to other units due to lack of capacity; calls on the Government to push not for minimum standards, but for the best possible standards in neonatal care throughout the NHS; and in particular calls on the Government to take all necessary measures to ensure that the minimum nursing levels recommended by the British Association of Perinatal Medicine are adhered to.","date":"2008-10-29","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36762","proposer":"10027","edm":"2375","session":"2007-08","title":"Lung Cancer Specialist Nurses","text":"That this House applauds the vital work of specialist lung cancer nurses in caring for patients with lung cancer, providing families with the information and support that they need and sharing their expert knowledge; notes that lung cancer remains the UK's largest killer cancer, resulting in more than 33,500 deaths every year; further notes with concern that on average there is one lung cancer nurse in England for every 132 lung cancer patients, compared to one breast cancer nurse for every 82 breast cancer patients, and that many thousands of lung cancer patients do not have access to a specialist nurse at all; supports the United Kingdom Lung Cancer Coalition (UKLCC)'s campaign to double lung cancer survival; welcomes the voices of the UKLCC and the National Forum for Lung Cancer Nurses in calling for equal and improved access to lung cancer services across the country, including access to a specialist lung cancer nurse for every patient; and calls on the Government to take action to deliver access to a lung cancer specialist nurse for every patient as recommended in the Department of Health's Cancer Reform Strategy and NICE's Improving Outcomes Guidance.","date":"2008-10-29","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36736","proposer":"10521","edm":"2355","session":"2007-08","title":"Blood Transfusion For Members Of Hm Armed Forces","text":"That this House believes, in accordance with the Military Covenant, that HM Armed Forces deserve the best available health care at all times; notes that in January this year 18 injured UK soldiers were given US blood that had not been properly screened during life-saving transfusions; notes that pathogen inactivation technology would have prevented such a risk and destroyed most blood borne viruses such as HIV, HBV, Hepatitis B and C, SARs, avian influenza and others; further notes that it is already tried and tested, and is in use around the world; considers that such technology would be a more economic and safer option for the NHS and military blood supply chain services; and therefore calls on those responsible for the military blood supply chain to adopt pathogen inactivation.","date":"2008-10-28","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36747","proposer":"11199","edm":"2366","session":"2007-08","title":"Occupational Therapy Week","text":"That this House supports Occupational Therapy Week which runs from 3rd to 7th November, organised by the College of Occupational Therapists; congratulates occupational therapists in both the health service and in social care for their dedicated and vital work to aid the effective recovery of patients and allow them to recover ordinary lives; recognises that occupational therapists work in many spheres, including those of children, young people and families, HIV\/AIDS, oncology and palliative care, housing, mental health, neurological practice, older people, people with learning disabilities, rheumatology and trauma and orthopaedics; welcomes the recent National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance that recommends occupational therapy to promote mental well-being for older people; urges the Government to continue to recognise that occupational therapists are a significant section of the NHS clinical and social care workforce; and recommends that all hon. Members visit an occupational therapy service in their local area to see the important work that is being done.","date":"2008-10-28","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36704","proposer":"11923","edm":"2325","session":"2007-08","title":"Cancer Service Centre In Kendal","text":"That this House notes with concern that cancer patients in South Cumbria are forced to travel to either Carlisle or Preston for cancer treatment; is deeply concerned at the effect round trips of up to 100 miles can have on the health of cancer sufferers and their families; welcomes the announcement made by NHS Cumbria that they are working with other primary care trusts in the region to assess the feasibility of a new cancer unit in Kendal; and calls on the Government to provide funding for a new cancer service unit at the Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal.","date":"2008-10-22","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36667","proposer":"10564","edm":"2299","session":"2007-08","title":"Access To Medical Treatment For Palestinian Children","text":"That this House expresses grave concern about the cases of Palestinian children from Gaza being unable to receive urgent life-saving medical care; notes that this is due to Israeli authorities refusing permission for the mothers or grandmothers of such children to leave Gaza to accompany them on `security grounds'; further notes the Amnesty International report of 16th October 2008 stating that six children under the age of six, one of whom was only five months old, suffering from serious heart conditions, were not able to attend surgery with a team of British heart specialists at Makassad Hospital in East Jerusalem in early October 2008 for such reasons; further notes that Gaza lacks the specialised medical staff and equipment to treat certain illnesses, including cardiovascular diseases and cancer; further expresses concern that, by not allowing a female relative to accompany these children, Israel is effectively denying them access to life-saving treatment; urgently calls on the Government to appeal to the Israeli government to allow these female relatives to accompany the children out of Gaza to receive treatment from a visiting team of Italian heart specialists in Makassad Hospital during the week of 6th November; urges the Government to further call on Israel to meet its obligations under international law to ensure that all Palestinians in occupied territory, both Gaza and the West Bank, obtain access to effective and appropriate medical treatment; and further notes that Israel's refusal to allow patients to leave Gaza for medical treatment that is not available in Gaza constitutes collective punishment.","date":"2008-10-21","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36681","proposer":"10077","edm":"2313","session":"2007-08","title":"Gmb Campaign On Pleural Plaques","text":"That this House welcomes the 28th October rally in Parliament, organised by GMB and supported by UNITE, UCATT, UNISON and other trades unions in support of people suffering with pleural plaques; further welcomes the ongoing Government consultation which seeks to address the recent ruling by the House of Lords meaning that pleural plaques are no longer a compensatable illness; and calls on the Government to reach a prompt conclusion which will help the thousands of people suffering from this serious condition in Britain today.","date":"2008-10-21","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36653","proposer":"11427","edm":"2285","session":"2007-08","title":"Health Care In The North East","text":"That this House praises the quality of care administered by the NHS in the North East, according to ratings released by the independent NHS regulator, the Healthcare Commission; notes that every single hospital and mental health trust in the region, as well as the ambulance service, is rated either excellent or good for quality, giving by far the highest score in the country, with 84 per cent. of primary care trusts achieving this compared to just 33 per cent. nationally; further notes that 17 of the 23 NHS organisations in the North East are also rated excellent or good for use of resources, the best performing of any region in the country; acknowledges that this is the second consecutive year that the North East has received the honour of the best NHS performance in the country; praises the NHS and its 77,000 staff in the North East for providing results this year that were better than those of last year; and hopes other regions will follow the example set by the North East.","date":"2008-10-17","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36639","proposer":"10571","edm":"2272","session":"2007-08","title":"National Service Framework For Asthma","text":"That this House calls on the Government to develop a National Service Framework for asthma; urges it to improve standards of care and treatment for the 4.5 million people with asthma in England; notes that caring for people who experience an asthma attack costs over three and a half times more than for those whose asthma is well-managed; and is concerned by Asthma UK's research showing that 69 per cent. of people with asthma do not have their symptoms under control and their recent Wish you were here? report, highlighting that children in the primary care trust (PCT) area with the highest emergency admissions ratio are eight times as likely to be admitted to hospital for asthma as children in the PCT with the lowest admissions ratio.","date":"2008-10-16","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36640","proposer":"10777","edm":"2273","session":"2007-08","title":"Tribunals And Inquiries (S.i., 2008, No. 2699)","text":"That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Health, Education and Social Care Chamber) Rules 2008 (S.I., 2008, No. 2699), dated 9th October 2008, a copy of which was laid before this House on 15th October, be annulled.","date":"2008-10-16","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36651","proposer":"10021","edm":"1726A1","session":"2007-08","title":"Pulmonary Rehabilitation And Follow-On Exercise Classes","text":"at end add `, and congratulates the Bexley Care Trust on its pioneering community-based service led by respiratory physiotherapist Tracey Birch at Northumberland Heath, Erith.'.","date":"2008-10-16","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36587","proposer":"10333","edm":"2237","session":"2007-08","title":"Nhs Cervical Screening Programme","text":"That this House believes that the NHS Cervical Screening Programme, which aims to reduce the number of women who develop invasive cervical cancer and the number of women who die from it, should review its current policy of only screening women over the age of 25 years; and considers that the programme should examine the figures for cervical cancer incidences in women under 25 years and offer routine cervical screening to women under 25 years if such figures could be reduced by routine screening.","date":"2008-10-14","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36573","proposer":"10371","edm":"2224","session":"2007-08","title":"Cardiac Risk In The Young","text":"That this House congratulates Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) on its hugely successful year; notes the launch in March of its Centre for Cardiac Pathology by Sir Clive Woodward at the Royal Brompton Hospital, the only such specialist pathology centre in the world; further notes the progress of research into young sudden cardiac death through support for pathology and screening; further notes the opening of new clinics in Cardiff, Liverpool and London funded by bereaved families in memory of their children; further congratulates CRY on a reception held in February at No. 11 Downing Street to celebrate its partnership with the Football Association, the Football Foundation and the Professional Footballers' Association and the introduction of screening into community football through the Vodkat Northwest Football League; further notes its pilot screening programme in state schools in north east Essex funded by a bereaved mother in memory of her son; further notes CRY's on-going partnership with Philips Healthcare including screening of many medallists prior to leaving for Beijing; further congratulates CRY on raising nearly half a million pounds for cardiac medical equipment in hospitals and GP surgeries; welcomes CRY's funding of three Research Fellows based at King's College University Hospital to be extended to five with a donation of \u00c2\u00a3160,000 from a bereaved family; further notes the development of its national bereavement support service with regional breavement support days in four locations; and looks forward to the next CRY Raising Awareness Week on 10th to 16th October.","date":"2008-10-13","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36560","proposer":"10166","edm":"2212","session":"2007-08","title":"Lupus Awareness Month","text":"That this House notes that October is Lupus Awareness Month; recognises the impact lupus has on over 50,000 people in the UK alongside their families, friends and carers; congratulates LUPUS UK for its work as the only national charity dedicated to raising awareness of the condition, as well as providing support and advice for lupus sufferers and raising funds for the sufferers; further notes that lupus is an auto-immune disease which can cause many and varied symptoms affecting different organs of the body, including the kidneys, heart, lungs, brain and the skin and is often misdiagnosed; further notes that the phasing out of incandescent light bulbs by 2011 is likely to have serious consequences for some lupus sufferers with light sensitivity; welcomes the Government's commitment to work with the lighting industry to seek a solution to this problem; and further urges the Government to raise public awareness of lupus and to encourage research into effective treatment of the disease.","date":"2008-10-08","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36542","proposer":"10295","edm":"2193","session":"2007-08","title":"Dental Treatment For Members Of The Territorial Army","text":"That this House notes that currently members of the Territorial Army cannot access army dentists based at army barracks free of charge in the same way as regular troops; recognises the invaluable role that Territorial Army troops play in providing frontline support to the regular Army being deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as many other theatres in previous years; further notes the capacity which exists within army dental services allowing them to accommodate Territorial Army troops; and calls on the Government to extend the provision of free dental treatment to members of the Territorial Army as a means of support and recognition of the valuable service they provide.","date":"2008-10-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36545","proposer":"10777","edm":"2187","session":"2007-08","title":"National Health Service (S.i., 2008, No. 1938)","text":"That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Health Service Branded Medicines (Control of Prices and Supply of Information) Regulations 2008 (S.I., 2008, No. 1938), dated 19th July 2008, a copy of which was laid before this House on 21st July, be annulled.","date":"2008-10-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36500","proposer":"11672","edm":"2150","session":"2007-08","title":"Sue Ryder Care Wheatfields Hospice","text":"That this House congratulates the Sue Ryder Care Wheatfields Hospice in Leeds for reaching its 30th birthday; recognises the high level of commitment from staff who provide an exceptional service of care to the patients, ensuring they experience a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere whilst staying there to receive palliative care; praises Wheatfields for its ability to accommodate a variety of patients' needs with a day hospice and community nurses who visit patients in their own homes; applauds the efforts of the Wheatfield volunteers who not only work in the Hospice but also fundraise on behalf of Wheatfields to ensure there are enough funds available so that the high level of care can continue; and wishes the hospice every success for the future in continuing to provide its fantastic support to the community.","date":"2008-10-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36476","proposer":"11245","edm":"2127","session":"2007-08","title":"New Treatment For Prostate Cancer","text":"That this House welcomes reports of the success of early trials of Abiraterone in treating an aggressive and often fatal form of prostate cancer; notes that eight out of 10 patients who have advanced prostate cancer may see their tumours shrink and be relieved of pain simply by taking a daily pill; further notes that full trials will be undertaken and that the drug may be generally available in three or four years; further notes that this drug, if it proves its potential during full trials, could help 10,000 men who die from aggressive prostate cancer each year; and therefore calls on the Government to ensure all possible support is given to accelerate the trials and ensure that the drug is available at the earliest possible moment.","date":"2008-07-22","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36447","proposer":"11245","edm":"2100","session":"2007-08","title":"Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment","text":"That this House congratulates the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society on its caring activities; notes the recent National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Final Appraisal Document; is aware of the pain, and the medical and social problems, suffered by people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis; further notes that effective treatment can save the NHS significant sums in the longer term; further notes that the NICE decision would deny 60,000 people with rheumatoid arthritis access to a range of anti-TNF drugs and could leave them facing high levels of pain, the possibility of more surgery and long-term disability; and therefore calls on the Government to ensure that anti-TNF drugs are available to rheumatoid arthritis sufferers according to their clinical needs.","date":"2008-07-21","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36449","proposer":"11245","edm":"2102","session":"2007-08","title":"Prescription Charges In England","text":"That this House notes the different prescription charging policies in UK countries; notes also that the NHS could save millions if more generic drugs were prescribed where appropriate; futher notes that the Office of Fair Trading report on the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme identified potential savings of \u00c2\u00a3500 million from just a limited range of drug categories; further notes that paid for prescriptions raise only \u00c2\u00a3430 million; further notes that people in England often cannot take the drugs they are prescribed, leading to health complications and further costs to the NHS; further notes that the National Audit Office estimated drug wastage in the NHS to amount to more than \u00c2\u00a3100 million; and therefore calls on the Government to adopt UKIP policy of free prescriptions across the UK and to fund this by greater use of generic drugs and less wastage.","date":"2008-07-21","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36463","proposer":"10045","edm":"2116","session":"2007-08","title":"Aids And Adaptations In Sheffield","text":"That this House welcomes the \u00c2\u00a32.4 million additional funding made available by the NHS to Sheffield City Council; recognises the importance of providing elderly people and people with disabilities with aids and adaptations to enable them to stay in their own homes; is therefore concerned at the wait of 18 months or longer which many people in Sheffield are experiencing before necessary adaptations are carried out; and condemns Sheffield City Council's refusal to spend the \u00c2\u00a32.4 million of NHS money immediately to ensure that elderly and disabled people with recognised needs get the services they deserve.","date":"2008-07-21","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36470","proposer":"10521","edm":"2123","session":"2007-08","title":"LYMPHOMA ASSOCIATION SURVEY OF PATIENTS' EXPERIENCE OF DIAGNOSIS","text":"That this House notes the findings of the Lymphoma Association's survey of patients' experiences of their diagnosis of lymphoma; expresses concern that although lymphoma is one of the most common cancers in the UK and that there are clear symptoms indicating that a person may have the condition, there is a lack of awareness of these symptoms amongst both members of the public and GPs, with consequent and unnecessary delays in prompt and accurate diagnosis; is disappointed by the survey results showing that more than one in 10 lymphoma sufferers had to visit their GP after their initial visit on a further five occasions before being referred to a specialist; is encouraged by the results showing that pressure from families is a key factor in persuading patients to seek a diagnosis; welcomes the work of the Lymphoma Association in raising awareness of the symptoms of lymphoma and supporting patients and their families with the disease; and urges the Government to work with the lymphoma community through the National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative to increase awareness of the condition and encourage its early diagnosis.","date":"2008-07-21","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36428","proposer":"11032","edm":"2081","session":"2007-08","title":"Fuel Allowance For Nhs Volunteer Drivers","text":"That this House recognises the vitally important work that many thousands of volunteer drivers undertake in taking patients to and from hospitals, GP surgeries and day centres; notes that the increasing cost of fuel is putting many of these services at risk as the fuel allowance for volunteer drivers remains at 40 pence per mile whilst the cost of fuel has escalated; further notes that nurses and staff in the NHS have recently been given an increase in their fuel allowance; is concerned about the impact on local health services if volunteer drivers can no longer afford to help their communities; believes that primary care trusts and other trusts should compensate volunteer drivers for their increased fuel costs and bring increases in line with those granted to NHS staff; and calls on the Government to allow all increases for NHS staff and volunteers to be tax free to reflect the rising cost of fuel.","date":"2008-07-17","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36429","proposer":"11923","edm":"2082","session":"2007-08","title":"Food Allergy Awareness","text":"That this House notes that in the last 20 years the number of people with food allergies has trebled; further notes with concern that last year 6,000 people were admitted to hospital with allergic reactions; recognises the importance of the proper handling of allergens in eating establishments; urges chefs and caterers in all eating establishments to improve their awareness of food allergens in their menus; and welcomes the Food Standards Agency's research in this area and its work to increase understanding of food allergens and intolerances amongst caterers and chefs to ensure that members of the public eating out are aware of all dietary restrictions.","date":"2008-07-17","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36434","proposer":"10677","edm":"2087","session":"2007-08","title":"Health Select Committee Report Into Nhs Dental Services","text":"That this House welcomes the Report of the Health Select Committee inquiry into NHS dental and orthodontic services, along with its conclusions and recommendations; expresses great concern that the new dental contract, introduced in April 2006, has failed to meet the Department of Health's own success criteria of improving access to NHS dentistry, or increasing the provision of preventative care; further welcomes recommendations that primary care trusts seek advice from dental public health consultants when commissioning services and adapt a more flexible approach to units of dental activity (UDAs), and that the Department of Health conducts a full review of the UDA system; and asks that the Department works with the dental profession to ensure evolutionary, incremental and piloted change in order to fulfil the contract's original objectives.","date":"2008-07-17","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36440","proposer":"10586","edm":"2093","session":"2007-08","title":"Revised Government Proposals Relating To Continence Products And Services","text":"That this House notes that an estimated average of more than 9,000 people in each Parliamentary constituency are affected by continence problems; acknowledges that high quality continence products allow users to live regular lives, thus contributing to society and reducing burdens on NHS and social services; welcomes the improvements in the latest June 2008 proposals on how the NHS pays for these products and services, but is nevertheless concerned that it has been proposed that any future changes in price will be aligned to NHS efficiency targets; urges the Government to put patient needs first; therefore calls for this link to be removed; further notes with concern that the true cost of additional support services and home delivery of continence products - which is often needed for mobility impaired people with complex needs - are not adequately reflected in the revised proposals; expresses concern about the uncertainty of what training is needed for healthcare professionals to administer Appliance User Reviews; further acknowledges the important work that has been undertaken by the Urology Trade Association (UTA) in trying to work together with the Government on this issue; and therefore calls on the Government to continue to work with the UTA and revise their latest proposals in order to ensure that any changes to the current payment system do not impact negatively on users who heavily rely on the support service they currently receive to manage their daily lives.","date":"2008-07-17","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36407","proposer":"11308","edm":"2065","session":"2007-08","title":"Abortion, Counselling And Informed Consent","text":"That this House notes with concern that there were 198,500 abortions in England and Wales in 2007, a rise of 2.5 per cent. on 2006 and the highest total ever; notes that this represents a rate of 18.6 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44 years and that this is comparable to the average rate of 18.8 in European countries which allow abortion on demand; further notes that European countries that have informed consent legislation (offering counselling, provision of information and\/or a cooling off period) have an equivalent average rate of 11.9; further notes the Royal College of Psychiatrists' recommendation on 14th March that good practice in relation to abortion will include informed consent and that consent cannot be informed without the provision of adequate and appropriate information regarding the possible risks and benefits to physical and mental health; acknowledges that the Annual Representative Meeting of the British Medical Association (BMA) on 10th July passed a motion (545) acknowledging that abortion can be a psychologically traumatic process for women, and urges the BMA to campaign for increased counselling and support for women before and after abortion and that this is therefore now official BMA policy; and commends the amendments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill seeking to ensure that women considering abortion are offered counselling and are also adequately informed about the health consequences of abortion, of alternatives to abortion, including adoption, and of help available should they decide to continue with their pregnancies.","date":"2008-07-16","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36421","proposer":"10647","edm":"2080","session":"2007-08","title":"Herbal Remedies","text":"That this House notes that herbal remedies have for centuries made a valuable contribution to healthcare; acknowledges that successive Ministers have hoped that the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive would provide a safe future legal home for such products as older legislative provisions were withdrawn; is alarmed that only 35 applications for registration under the Directive have been received by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, and only 14 registrations granted; fears that many smaller specialist manufacturers are deterred by the prohibitive costs and pharmaceutical testing regimes introduced by the legislation; warns that this risks the loss of thousands of safe and popular herbal remedies when the transitional period expires in 2011; and invites Ministers urgently to intervene to reduce the burdens of regulatory compliance and to persuade the European Union to review the legislation to prevent further damage to the herbal products sector.","date":"2008-07-16","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36378","proposer":"10177","edm":"2036","session":"2007-08","title":"Home Delivery Of Intermittent Catheters","text":"That this House notes with concern that patients and users of intermittent catheters will be disproportionately affected in the proposed new arrangements under Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and urology appliances - and related services - in primary care, as the proposed home delivery service payment is not reflective of the true cost of delivery for dispensing appliance contractors (DACs) of this product; acknowledges that successfully maintaining continence conditions at home reduces demands on local healthcare professionals and avoids unnecessary admissions to hospitals due to complications and infections; further notes that one of the objectives in the revised proposals is to ensure equitable payment to DACs and pharmacy contractors for equivalent services, but that DACs will still not be able to claim an expensive prescription fee which is currently available to pharmacy contractors; and therefore urges the Government to ensure that the revised proposals are not to the detriment of users of intermittent catheters, as serious medical conditions associated with the need for these products means that they are often mobility-impaired or confined to their home for long periods and are therefore reliant on the home delivery and additional services to manage their conditions.","date":"2008-07-15","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36379","proposer":"11032","edm":"2037","session":"2007-08","title":"Sickle Cell Disease","text":"That this House observes that sickle cell disease is one of the most common genetic diseases in the country and affects over 12,500 people in the UK; notes that knowledge of the condition is still low and welcomes the start of Sickle Cell Awareness Month; recognises that access to care and support for patients with sickle cell disease varies widely across the UK; welcomes the publication by the Sickle Cell Society of the Standards for the Clinical Care of Adults with Sickle Cell Disease in the UK; and recommends that the standards be implemented and services audited in an attempt to raise levels of care and reduce the health inequalities which many sickle cell patients currently face.","date":"2008-07-15","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36338","proposer":"10455","edm":"2005","session":"2007-08","title":"Rare And Complex Conditions","text":"That this House acknowledges that while the cost of treating people with rare and complex medical conditions represents a tiny fraction of NHS expenditure, the relative specific costs of such treatment can be high; recognises the great strength of the NHS in pooling financial risk for the benefit of such individuals; encourages interested parties to work together in developing an ethical framework to inform decisions on funding; and calls upon the Government to ensure that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence reflects the Secretary of State's directions regarding clinical need and innovation in assessing high cost treatments.","date":"2008-07-09","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36342","proposer":"10378","edm":"2009","session":"2007-08","title":"Abortion Law","text":"That this House supports access to safe abortion as early as possible for women who need one; recognises that medical ethics, practice and social attitudes about abortion have progressed since the Abortion Act was framed in 1967; is concerned that the current legislation imposes clinically unnecessary restrictions which cause delays, resulting in abortion taking place at a later gestation than is necessary; notes the Science and Technology Committee's recent inquiry into the `Scientific Developments relation to the Abortion Act 1967' which found no evidence to support the need for two doctors' signatures for a woman to have an abortion; recommended that suitably trained healthcare practitioners as well as doctors should be permitted to perform abortions, that the restriction on the locations where abortions could take place should be removed to give women the choice of completing the second stage of early medical abortion at home; further notes these recommendations are supported by the RCOG, the RCN, the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, fpa, Antenatal Results and Choices, Abortion Rights, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, Marie Stopes International, Doctors for a Woman's Choice on Abortion and Brook; further notes these organisations support provision of safe abortions in other primary care settings as a way to increase choice, improve access and minimise delay; and urges hon. Members to support amendments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill to modernise the law and improve women's early access to abortion.","date":"2008-07-09","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36344","proposer":"10378","edm":"2011","session":"2007-08","title":"Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine","text":"That this House notes the recent Department of Health decision to purchase a bivalent, rather than quadrivalent, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine for the national HPV immunisation programme; recognises that, as well as preventing cervical cancer, a quadrivalent vaccine would protect against a wider range of conditions, including genital warts, reducing sexually-transmitted infections and costs for the NHS; understands that the UK will be the only country in the world to opt for a bivalent rather than quadrivalent vaccine for a national programme; shares the disappointment of fpa, the Terrence Higgins Trust, Brook and the British Association of Sexual Health and HIV at this decision; and urges the Government to reconsider.","date":"2008-07-09","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36286","proposer":"10226","edm":"1962","session":"2007-08","title":"Peripheral Arterial Disease And The Dragging Their Feet Report","text":"That this House welcomes the Dragging Their Feet report, produced by Target PAD, an expert group of clinicians with an interest in tackling peripheral arterial disease (PAD); notes with concern the serious health, social and economic costs to the 720,000 individuals diagnosed with PAD in the UK, caused by sub-optimal treatment of the disease; further notes the wider costs to these patients' families, and to UK plc; and calls on the Government and health professionals to take action to improve the management of peripheral arterial disease, particularly through supporting the inclusion of measures to manage PAD in primary care through the quality and outcomes framework of the General Medical Services contract and the Government's cardiovascular risk management programme.","date":"2008-07-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36296","proposer":"10021","edm":"1972","session":"2007-08","title":"Nutrition And Osteoporotic Fracture","text":"That this House recognises the crucial role that nutrition can play in maintaining healthy bones and reducing the potentially devastating impact of osteoporotic fractures; notes that healthy bones need a well-balanced diet incorporating calcium, all the different food groups and five portions of fruit and vegetables a day; is concerned that poor diets and eating disorders such as anorexia can increase the risk of individuals sustaining potentially debilitating and life threatening osteoporotic fractures; and welcomes the National Osteoporosis Society's continuing work to promote bone friendly nutrition across the UK.","date":"2008-07-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36297","proposer":"10021","edm":"1973","session":"2007-08","title":"Reducing The Impact Of Osteoporotic Fractures","text":"That this House welcomes the National Osteoporosis Society's call for the Government to ensure that every person who suffers a fragility fracture (i.e. at the wrist, hip or spine) in England is given a fracture risk assessment as a matter of course; notes that such a measure would help to ensure that a greater proportion of those at risk of possible life threatening fractures are identified, in turn helping to reduce the number of tragic and unnecessary deaths caused by osteoporotic fractures every year; further notes that 70,000 hip fractures occur each year in the UK, almost all of which are due to osteoporosis; is alarmed that, every month, hip fractures result in the deaths of 1,150 people; recognises that the total annual cost of hip fractures to the UK health and social care system amounts to \u00c2\u00a31.73 billion, which is broadly similar to the sum spent treating coronary heart disease; is concerned that less than one third of patients who have sustained a low trauma fracture are referred for a diagnostic Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA) scan; and welcomes the development of FRAX, an online resource for health professionals to use in evaluating the fracture risk of patients, which works by integrating clinical risk factors such as age, weight, height and family fracture history alongside bone mineral density data, as measured by a DXA scan.","date":"2008-07-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36298","proposer":"10614","edm":"1974","session":"2007-08","title":"Care Provisions For People With Diabetes","text":"That this House recognises the report published on 7th July by Diabetes UK which warns that 100 people a week lose a limb due to complications as a result of diabetes and that there is an urgent need for greater awareness of the impact of the condition; notes that diabetes can also lead to heart attacks, stroke, blindness and kidney failure; and calls on the Government to provide diabetes sufferers with better access to high-quality integrated specialist foot care services and to regular foot checks as part of their annual medical review to prevent amputations.","date":"2008-07-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36267","proposer":"10585","edm":"1944","session":"2007-08","title":"National Infertility Day 2008","text":"That this House welcomes National Infertility Day on 19th July 2008 in recognition of 30 years of IVF; notes that around one in six couples in the UK has difficulties in conceiving which can cause profound psychological and emotional strain; deplores the fact that huge inequalities in access to NHS treatment exist despite the 2004 National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) clinical guideline on fertility; congratulates Infertility Network UK, ACeBabes and all associated organisations for organising the largest one-day conference ever hosted by infertility patient associations; praises the work of the National Infertility Awareness Campaign in highlighting the need for greater equity in the provision of NHS-funded treatment; and calls for full implementation of the NICE clinical guideline to ensure that all those affected by difficulties in conceiving receive equitable access to infertility treatment, regardless of where they live.","date":"2008-07-02","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36251","proposer":"10323","edm":"1929","session":"2007-08","title":"Conservative Draft Bill On The Nhs And The Universal Duty Of Care","text":"That this House notes that Parliament currently places a duty on the Government to provide a universal, comprehensive health service; also notes that in part 1, section 1, point 2, of the Conservative draft bill on the NHS, entitled the National Health Service (Autonomy and Accountability) Bill, the NHS principles are listed, but below that at point 5, the draft Bill states `Where it appears to the Secretary of State or an NHS body that any of their duties conflict with one or more of the NHS principles, priority must be given to their duties under this or any other enactment'; is alarmed that, if enacted, this provision would remove the unqualified duty to uphold the principles of the NHS as set out in the original NHS legislation, allowing the duty to provide a universal service to be overridden at any time in the future without further NHS Act repeals or amendments; further notes that, despite this, the Conservative White Paper that accompanied their draft Bill purported to uphold the core NHS principles; and further notes that the removal of the primacy of the NHS principles in the Conservative Bill is included in a section that restates but does not protect the founding principles; and calls upon all those celebrating the 60th birthday of the NHS to do everything in their power to protect the unqualified universal duty of care of which the UK is proud.","date":"2008-07-01","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36227","proposer":"10226","edm":"1906","session":"2007-08","title":"Sue Ryder Care","text":"That this House recognises the key role played by the third sector in providing valuable specialised care services; praises the work of organisations such as Sue Ryder Care, which develop innovative solutions to providing these services and meeting the needs of local communities; and calls upon the Government to support Sue Ryder Care and other specialist voluntary providers by ensuring that they are paid the true cost for the basic services they provide on behalf of the state, so that their voluntary funds can be used to help them innovate further.","date":"2008-06-26","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36208","proposer":"13735","edm":"1887","session":"2007-08","title":"Regulation Of Children And Family Court Advisory And Support Service, Financial Services Authority And Nursing And Midwifery Council","text":"That this House believes that the complaints system in place to provide for individual redress for citizens unhappy with the decisions of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, the Financial Services Authority and the Nursing and Midwifery Council respectively is insufficiently independent and empowered to allow complaints to be satisfactorily adjudicated; calls on the Government to review the effectiveness of the complaints and appeal procedures in each case; and further calls on the Government to bring forward proposals for amendments to the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000, the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 (S.I., No. 253) respectively to improve complaints procedures and to increase public confidence that fair redress can be achieved.","date":"2008-06-25","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36209","proposer":"10066","edm":"1888","session":"2007-08","title":"Royal Cornwall Hospitals Nhs Trust","text":"That this House notes the findings of the Healthcare Commission Report which places the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust at the top of its most improved hospital league table; further notes that the Trust is now compliant with 35 of the 44 core standards; appreciates the sustained dedication and effort of the staff through a challenging financial and operationally changing climate; and calls on the Government to give the NHS in Cornwall the support it deserves by finally addressing the unfair funding formula that continues to put Cornish patients at a disadvantage by linking local NHS funding to the lowest private sector wages in the UK.","date":"2008-06-25","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36193","proposer":"11427","edm":"1875","session":"2007-08","title":"Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease -\u0000 Finding The Missing Millions Campaign","text":"That this House notes that an estimated 3.7 million people in the UK have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but that only 900,000 people have been diagnosed with the disease; recognises that COPD is the UK's fifth biggest killer and that the direct cost of providing care in the NHS for people with COPD is almost \u00c2\u00a3500 million per year; welcomes the Invisible Lives report from the British Lung Foundation (BLF), which identifies the hotspots in the UK where people with undiagnosed COPD are most likely to live; understands that improving rates of early diagnosis for COPD would help patients to slow down the progression of their disease, live a healthy life for longer and avoid expensive emergency care; supports efforts by the BLF, Breathe Easy groups and primary care trusts to raise awareness and the rates of early diagnosis of COPD in the hotspot areas; and calls on the Government urgently to carry out an assessment of the economic and health benefits of incorporating spirometry testing into the recently announced health screening programme.","date":"2008-06-24","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36151","proposer":"10079","edm":"1842","session":"2007-08","title":"Nhs (Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2005","text":"That this House deplores the fact that the Government's changes to the 2005 Regulations on NHS Pharmaceutical Services allow supermarkets to squeeze small pharmacies out of the market; is concerned at the adverse impact the recent planning application made by Tesco's, in Princes Road, Chelmsford, will have, if granted, on the smaller pharmacies in Gloucester Avenue, Wood Street, Writtle Road and Moulsham Street, Chelmsford; considers it disgraceful that the decision-making process vested in the primary care trusts (PCTs) does not allow them to consider the wishes of customers in determining a 100-hour application; and calls on the Government to revise the current rules so that pharmacy applications can be judged by local PCTs solely on whether they are considered to be necessary and desirable.","date":"2008-06-19","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36145","proposer":"10586","edm":"1821A1","session":"2007-08","title":"Centre Of Excellence For Diabetes In Leicester","text":"after `Leicester', insert `and Leicestershire'.","date":"2008-06-18","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36119","proposer":"11607","edm":"1815","session":"2007-08","title":"Healthcare Champions For Rheumatoid Arthritis","text":"That this House congratulates the 20 winners of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society's Healthcare Champions awards for their dedicated support and care of people living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA); notes that specialist multi-disciplinary rheumatology teams across the UK provide crucial support and a high standard of care for 400,000 people in the UK living with this extremely painful and disabling condition; notes with concern that many specialised rheumatology teams and services are under threat from NHS reforms, funding restrictions, proposed clinic closures and cuts in services; and calls upon the Government to ensure that the very special support and care that specialists, multi-disciplinary rheumatology teams provide to RA patients and their carers is maintained and not undermined by Lord Darzi's review of the NHS, the World Class Commissioning Initiative and other ongoing or planned NHS reforms.","date":"2008-06-17","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36122","proposer":"10715","edm":"1818","session":"2007-08","title":"Review Of Nhs Co-Payments By Professor Mike Richards","text":"That this House welcomes the review announced by Government of the long-standing policy on NHS co-payments to be led by Professor Mike Richards; affirms that the NHS should continue to strive to optimise health outcomes for patients wherever this is possible; believes that the current ban on co-payments is cruel, because it can result in NHS care being withdrawn from dying patients, and illogical, because co-payments already exist in some parts of the NHS; notes that, under co-payments, no public money need leave the NHS to enable patients to obtain part of their treatment not currently available in the NHS; therefore believes that co-payments can assist one patient without harming the prospects of any other NHS patient; and calls on Professor Richards to take these factors into consideration in compiling his report.","date":"2008-06-17","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36125","proposer":"10614","edm":"1821","session":"2007-08","title":"Centre Of Excellence For Diabetes In Leicester","text":"That this House notes that the week commencing 9th June is marked National Diabetes Week; acknowledges that there could be approximately half a million people in the country who are unaware they have diabetes including 66,000 people in Leicestershire; believes that it is important that the Government's strategy is directed towards prevention of diabetes; welcomes the statements made by the Minister for Health, the hon. Member for Exeter, on the proposal to establish a Diabetes Centre of Excellence in Leicester on the site of Leicester General Hospital; commends Leicester City Primary Care Trust, its Chief Executive, Tim Rideout, and experts in the field, including Professor Melanie Davies and Professor Azhar Farooqi OBE, for their commitment and dedication in the prevention and treatment of diabetes and their proposal for a Diabetes Centre of Excellence to be established as soon as possible; and further notes that the Centre for Excellence will serve not just the people of Leicester but act as a template for the rest of the United Kingdom.","date":"2008-06-17","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36134","proposer":"11245","edm":"1760A1","session":"2007-08","title":"Global Action To Improve Maternal And Child Health","text":"leave out from `services' to `services' in line 8.","date":"2008-06-17","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36135","proposer":"11245","edm":"1760A2","session":"2007-08","title":"Global Action To Improve Maternal And Child Health","text":"leave out from `World' to `and' in line 12.","date":"2008-06-17","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36084","proposer":"11480","edm":"1783","session":"2007-08","title":"Saga Respite For Carers Trust","text":"That this House notes the last census in 2001 put the total figure of carers at 5.2 million in England, 480,000 in Scotland and 306,000 in Wales, numbers which are likely to be increasing as the population ages; further notes that one million carers provide more than 50 hours of care a week; that research by Carers UK estimates the value to the UK of this support at \u00c2\u00a382 billion a year, each carer thus saving the taxpayer over \u00c2\u00a315,000 annually; further acknowledges that the Saga\/Populus Panel 2008 survey shows first, that two-thirds of these carers receive no benefits or financial support for providing care and only 12 per cent. claim carer's allowance and second, that 46 per cent. of carers have not taken a holiday away from their caring responsibilities in the last year, while 24 per cent. have never taken such a holiday (this figure rising to 31 per cent. for longer term carers); believes that this relentless work inevitably takes a toll on the carer's health; and therefore welcomes the launch on 10th June of the Saga Respite for Carers Trust which seeks first, to highlight this issue and in particular to raise the profile of the need for respite breaks and second, to fund free respite breaks for people over 50 caring for a family member.","date":"2008-06-12","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36085","proposer":"10455","edm":"1784","session":"2007-08","title":"WALLACE AND GROMIT'S WRONG TROUSERS DAY ON 27th JUNE","text":"That this House supports the excellent work of Wallace and Gromit's Children's Foundation to improve the quality of life of children in hospitals and hospices across the UK by raising money to support a range of innovative projects which ensure children and their families have access to the very best comforts, therapies and facilities available, including art, music and play therapy; recognises the positive impact these activities have on children; congratulates Wallace and Gromit's Children's Foundation for raising over \u00c2\u00a31 million for these good causes; welcomes the annual Wallace and Gromit's Wrong Trousers Day on 27th June; and encourages as many people as possible to get involved on the day.","date":"2008-06-12","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36060","proposer":"10378","edm":"1760","session":"2007-08","title":"Global Action To Improve Maternal And Child Health","text":"That this House notes with concern that maternal and child death rates are still extremely high in developing countries, owing to the inadequacy of human resources and the absence of quality health services, particularly in rural areas of Africa, Asia and Latin America; acknowledges that the international community agreed to reduce maternal mortality by 75 per cent. by 2015 under Millennium Development Goal 5; therefore welcomes the emphasis placed on strengthening health services, especially sexual and reproductive health and rights, including maternal and child health and family planning services, in the Department for International Development's Achieving Universal Access, The New UK Strategy for Halting and Reversing the Spread of HIV in the Developing World; further notes that United Kingdom medical organisations, including the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists are working to ensure that training and expertise are provided in developing countries; and calls upon the Government to highlight maternal and child health at forthcoming key events in the European Parliament, the G8 Summit and UN meetings.","date":"2008-06-11","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36029","proposer":"10032","edm":"1743","session":"2007-08","title":"Carers And The Role Of Neurological Nurses","text":"That this House recognises the economic and psychological impact which caring responsibilities have on the 850,000 unpaid carers in the UK looking after people with long term neurological conditions; notes their huge economic contribution; values the vital role of neurological nurses in improving the quality of life of people with neurological conditions and of carers and in reducing unnecessary and costly hospital admissions; urges speedy local implementation, through joint health and social care commissioning, of specialist neurological nurse support for people with neurological conditions as described in the Best Practice Guide recently published by the Department of Health, the NHS National Workforce Projects and key third sector partners; and warmly congratulates the 56 member organisations of the Neurological Alliance for the work they are undertaking to support this group of carers and promote the role of neurological nurses.","date":"2008-06-10","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36031","proposer":"11817","edm":"1745","session":"2007-08","title":"General Medical Council Complaints System","text":"That this House believes that the General Medical Council\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s (GMC) complaints mechanism fails to comply with standards of fairness and due process required by Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights; observes that the GMC's role in investigating, prosecuting and sentencing falls below the standard required of an independent and impartial tribunal; notes that in practice the GMC represents the interest of parents in cases where doctors suspect abuse; further notes that children themselves have no independent representation to present a doctor's concerns; further believes that no published guidelines appear to guide prosecution decisions and that, as prosecutor, the GMC amends and adds charges in an ad hoc fashion; considers that doctors are uncertain of the allegations they face, compromising their ability to mount a cogent defence; further considers that the GMC calls expert witnesses with clear conflicts of interest in the proceedings who are unrepresentative of mainstream practice or opinion, and that the GMC adopts a populist, punitive, deterrent and disproportionate approach to sentencing; further considers that the GMC\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s apparently arbitrary admission and exclusion of evidence extends to ignoring the findings of previous investigations into a case conducted by an accused doctor's employer; further believes that the GMC values the public perception and integrity of the profession above individual rights; and further observes that, contrary to basic principles of justice, the GMC appears to assume the guilt of doctors before it, and refuses to acquit when a conviction is impossible, instead finding 'no realistic prospect of prosecution'.","date":"2008-06-10","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36005","proposer":"10349","edm":"1719","session":"2007-08","title":"Lost Without Words Campaign","text":"That this House welcomes the Stroke Association's Lost without Words campaign which aims to raise awareness of the impact of stroke-related communication disabilities such as Aphasia, Dysarthia and Dyspraxia; notes that an estimated 250,000 to 300,000 people in the UK are currently living with a stroke-related communication disability; recognises that without access to appropriate support those affected can experience depression, isolation, relationship break downs, inability to return to work and dependence on welfare; commends the work of voluntary sector organisations in providing ongoing programmes of communication support for stroke survivors in the community; further recognises that such support can help people regain or replace vital communication skills lost following a stroke; is concerned that across most of the UK too few stroke survivors have access to such support services; is further concerned that many local health authorities are not sufficiently aware of the incidence and impact of stroke-related communication disabilities or the interventions that are available; and calls on the Government and health and social care providers across the UK to review the provision of support for people with communication disabilities following a stroke.","date":"2008-06-09","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"36008","proposer":"10428","edm":"1722","session":"2007-08","title":"Action Duchenne","text":"That this House notes the publication of research carried out by members of the Action Duchenne organisation on consultation with parents, patients and clinicians connected with the illness highlighting the need for higher levels of Government funding in areas such as extra clinical trials, access to new drugs and treatments for sufferers, together with the establishment of specialist centres manned by multidisciplinary teams throughout the UK; and calls on the Government to take seriously this cry for support from those in the front line of medical need.","date":"2008-06-09","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35991","proposer":"10077","edm":"1705","session":"2007-08","title":"Private Sector Management Of Nhs Trusts","text":"That this House notes the Government's vision document, Developing the NHS Performance Regime, which includes provisions allowing private sector management to take over NHS trusts that are deemed to have failed by the NHS Chief Executive; does not believe that NHS performance will be improved by diverting money out of the NHS into corporate profits; deplores the apparent underlying assumption that the private sector is always superior; observes that the current global economic crisis was caused by the greed and incompetence displayed in equal measure by many of the world's largest private sector institutions; hopes the level of management expertise that brought Northern Rock to its knees and Terminal Five to a standstill will not now be unleashed on our hospitals; urges the Government to reaffirm the value of the public sector ethos; and hopes that Ministers will improve their own performance by ditching their apparent knee-jerk impulse to privatise whenever faced with a policy decision.","date":"2008-06-05","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35997","proposer":"10155","edm":"1711","session":"2007-08","title":"Organ Donation (No. 2)","text":"That this House welcomes the recommendations of the Organ Donation Taskforce and that the Government has accepted all 14 proposals; notes that recommendation 13 states `There is an urgent requirement to identify and implement the most effective methods through which organ donation and the gift of life can be promoted to the general public and specifically to the BME population' and calls for more research to be commissioned; further notes that a range of voluntary groups exist who publicise organ donation and who therefore have useful data and information; and calls on the Department of Health to work with such groups both on the research and the implementation of findings.","date":"2008-06-05","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35998","proposer":"10197","edm":"1712","session":"2007-08","title":"Individual Freedom Within The Nhs","text":"That this House, following the death from cancer of Linda O'Boyle, who was prevented from contributing to the cost of drugs that might have prolonged her life, calls on the Government to extend individual freedom so that individuals and families are allowed more control over how and when they draw down public expenditure; and believes that cancer sufferers should be encouraged, and then not penalised, to pay for additional drugs which are prescribed for them by their NHS consultant but are not made available to them on NHS prescriptions.","date":"2008-06-05","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35981","proposer":"10295","edm":"1697","session":"2007-08","title":"60th Anniversary Of The National Health Service","text":"That this House notes that 5th July 2008 will mark the 60th anniversary of the creation of the National Health Service (NHS); recognises the importance of its creation in helping to tackle one of the five giants highlighted in the Beveridge Report to be slain in post-war Britain; pays tribute to the Labour Government which faced down opposition to the creation of the NHS and introduced a healthcare system which to this day provides a comprehensive service free at the point of delivery; further recognises the many medical advances that have been made in the last 60 years and the significant improvements in public health as a consequence; and looks forward to the NHS continuing to pioneer new treatments and medical services so that people have access to first class healthcare throughout the United Kingdom.","date":"2008-06-04","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35929","proposer":"10614","edm":"1647","session":"2007-08","title":"Diabetes Specialist Nurses","text":"That this House welcomes the research undertaken at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust into the effectiveness of diabetes specialist nurses in cutting the cost of treating sufferers of diabetes by around \u00c2\u00a3100 million; further welcomes the findings that these specialist nurses would be able to improve the treatment of accident and emergency patients allowing them to leave hospital sooner; notes that the number of people diagnosed with diabetes is continually rising, which requires greater long-term care plans; and calls on the Government to consider the regular employment of more diabetes specialist nurses in all accident and emergency wards in all hospitals in Britain.","date":"2008-06-02","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35942","proposer":"10226","edm":"1660","session":"2007-08","title":"Fit To Eat Guidelines On Hospital Food For Children With Cancer","text":"That this House is concerned that children and young people with cancer are sometimes offered food in hospital which is unappetising and unresponsive to their needs; considers food and nutrition to be vital to these children and young people who need to keep up their immunity from infection, whose taste buds change as a result of chemotherapy, and who will be in hospital for some time; notes with concern that a survey of families by the children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent shows that a majority of families saw their food spending increase while their child was undergoing cancer treatment and that 77 per cent. of respondents described hospital food negatively; welcomes CLIC Sargent's new Fit to Eat guidelines for hospitals; and calls on the Government to renew its commitment to improve hospital food and ensure that all children with cancer are served food in hospital which is fit to eat.","date":"2008-06-02","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35943","proposer":"10328","edm":"1662","session":"2007-08","title":"Binge Drinking And The Regulation Of Alcohol Sales","text":"That this House notes with concern that 23 per cent. of men and nine per cent. of women engage in binge drinking; further notes that hospital admissions due to binge drinking have doubled in the past decade and include 5,000 under 18s a year; further notes that alcohol is a factor in half of all crimes and costs the economy an estimated \u00c2\u00a320 billion a year; and calls on the Government to bring forward a package of measures to tackle deep discounting of alcohol sales, introduce a compulsory labelling system for alcoholic drinks and limit point of sale promotions of alcohol.","date":"2008-06-02","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35947","proposer":"10323","edm":"1666","session":"2007-08","title":"Abortion And Informed Consent (No. 2)","text":"That this House notes that the Position Statement on Women's Health in Relation to Induced Abortion by The Royal College of Psychiatrists states that the specific issue of whether or not induced abortion has harmful effects on women's mental health remains to be fully resolved; futher notes that it does not then use the word `nonetheless' before going on to explain some studies identify a range of mental disorders following abortion but that it in fact makes this statement in conjunction with statements that other studies indicate no evidence of harm and that the current research evidence base in inconclusive; further notes that the Position Statement makes the point that women with pre-existing psychiatric disorders who continue with their pregnancy, as well as those with psychiatric disorders who undergo abortion, will need appropriate support and care; and deplores those who selectively quote from independent academic sources in order to further their particular agenda.","date":"2008-06-02","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35954","proposer":"10465","edm":"757A1","session":"2007-08","title":"60th Anniversary Of The Nhs And The Tredegar Medical Aid Society","text":"after `Gwent,', insert `and drawing on the visionary work of the Liberal William Beveridge,'.","date":"2008-06-02","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35955","proposer":"10465","edm":"782A1","session":"2007-08","title":"Clinics For People With Neuromuscular Conditions","text":"after second 'Dystrophy', insert `Motor Neurone Disease'.","date":"2008-06-02","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35895","proposer":"10606","edm":"1617","session":"2007-08","title":"Review Of Epilepsy Action Plan","text":"That this House welcomes National Epilepsy Week from 18th to 24th May; notes the findings of the All-party Parliamentary Group on Epilepsy that 400 lives are lost each year owing to failures to deliver good quality services to people with epilepsy, that 69,000 people with epilepsy are suffering unnecessary seizures, that 74,000 people are taking powerful drugs they do not need, and that \u00c2\u00a3189 million could be saved each year by improving the service; and calls upon the Government to set review dates for the 2003 Action Plan for Epilepsy and the 2005 National Service Framework for Long-Term Neurological Conditions.","date":"2008-05-20","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35883","proposer":"10557","edm":"1605","session":"2007-08","title":"Patient Information On Clinical Research In Diabetes","text":"That this House recognises the importance of the UK as a world leader in clinical research; commends the work of the UK Diabetes Research Network in developing and strengthening NHS infrastructure to support the delivery of diabetes clinical research; further recognises that it is vital that patients, carers and members of the public are made more aware of the opportunities presented by clinical trials in diabetes in order to be able to make informed choices about participation in such research; welcomes the launch of the Clinical Research in Diabetes: A Patient Perspective DVD and its associated website, which aim to inform people about diabetes and diabetes research; and calls for the Government to make the DVD and details of the website widely available across the NHS in order to support research that will tackle the emerging global epidemic of diabetes.","date":"2008-05-19","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35889","proposer":"10394","edm":"1611","session":"2007-08","title":"Biodiversity And Sustaining Life Campaign","text":"That this House is alarmed at the research contained in the newly published report Sustaining Life compiled by 100 experts which claims that a potential new generation of drugs made from natural resources will be lost forever unless the world acts to stop biodiversity loss; notes that this book points out seven groups that could be particularly valuable to medicine: amphibians, bears, cone snails, sharks, primates, horseshoe crabs and gymnosperms; and is concerned that frog glue, which could repair cartilage and other tissue tears in humans, is at risk due to climatic changes which have led to habitat loss and mutations in frogs.","date":"2008-05-19","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35876","proposer":"10378","edm":"1598","session":"2007-08","title":"24-Week Abortion Time Limit","text":"That this House notes that reducing the abortion time-limit from 24 weeks would force some women to continue a pregnancy and give birth against their will; further notes that the time-limit is considered by many people to be set on the basis of when the foetus would be viable; further notes the findings of the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee's recent report Scientific Developments relating to the Abortion Act 1967, and its conclusion that below 24 weeks they `have seen no good evidence to suggest that the foetal viability has improved significantly since the abortion time-limit was last set, and seen some good evidence to suggest that it has not'; further notes that this view, that there is no medical or scientific justification for a reduction in the current abortion time limit, is shared by the BMA, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the British Association of Perinatal Medicine, the RCN, the FPA and Antenatal Results and Choices; observes that less than 2 per cent. of abortions take place above 20 weeks gestation and involve the most vulnerable women in the most difficult personal circumstances who are not undertaking abortion lightly; believes that the best way to reduce the number of abortions is to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies by improving sex and relationships education, and improving access to effective contraception; and therefore supports women's access to safe legal abortion, within the current ethically and scientifically justified time-limit of 24 weeks.","date":"2008-05-16","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35857","proposer":"11923","edm":"1580","session":"2007-08","title":"Polyclinics (No. 2)","text":"That this House notes with concern the Government's plans to introduce polyclinics across the country; believes that in rural areas this is likely to lead to the closure of many small GP practices, leaving many people without easy access to basic health services; and calls upon the Government to review its plans in order to ensure that rural areas are not disadvantaged.","date":"2008-05-15","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35862","proposer":"11174","edm":"1585","session":"2007-08","title":"Parking Charges At Hospitals","text":"That this House recognises the additional financial strain put on patients and their friends and relatives by increased parking charges at hospitals in the North West of England including Southport Hospital and Leighton Hospital near Crewe and Nantwich amongst others; notes that regular patients, and the friends and families of inpatients, face particular hardship in the face of the 50 per cent. increases brought in; notes that the Welsh Assembly Government has cut all hospital parking charges; and calls on hospital trusts in the North West to listen to the concerns of local people and consider schemes to ensure that patients and their friends and relatives do not face exorbitant costs when visiting hospitals.","date":"2008-05-15","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35869","proposer":"11308","edm":"1592","session":"2007-08","title":"Abortion Informed Consent","text":"That this House notes that the Royal College of Psychiatrists, in response to a Government request and in view of the controversy over the risk to mental health of induced abortion, issued a new Position Statement on Women's Mental Health in Relation to Induced Abortion on 14th March 2008; further notes that this statement acknowledges that whilst the specific issue of whether or not induced abortion has harmful effects on women's mental health remains to be fully resolved, that nonetheless some studies identify a range of mental disorders following abortion; further notes the College's recommendation that healthcare professionals who assess or refer women who are requesting an abortion should assess for mental disorder and for risk factors that may be associated with its subsequent development; further notes the College's recognition that good practice in relation to abortion will include informed consent and that consent cannot be informed without the provision of adequate and appropriate information regarding the possible risks and benefits to physical and mental health; further notes that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill provides the opportunity to amend the Abortion Act 1967; and calls upon the Government to bring forward measures to ensure that women are adequately informed of the possible dangers of abortion as well as being provided with full details of the help available if they continue with their pregnancies.","date":"2008-05-15","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35842","proposer":"12016","edm":"1566","session":"2007-08","title":"National Thrombosis Week","text":"That this House welcomes and supports National Thrombosis Week; recognises that 25,000 people in the UK die each year of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), many due to hospital-acquired DVT; notes that a report by the All Party Parliamentary Thrombosis Group in 2007 revealed that only one third of NHS trusts were following best practice, as recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and the Chief Medical Officer, to risk assess all patients for DVT on admission to hospital; fully supports the campaign by the thrombosis charity, Lifeblood, to expose the existing NHS postcode lottery in risk-assessing potentially fatal blood clots; and calls upon all NHS trusts to ensure that all in-patients are risk assessed for DVT.","date":"2008-05-14","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35846","proposer":"10141","edm":"1570","session":"2007-08","title":"Hospice Lottery Limit","text":"That this House recognises the valuable, specialist work carried out by hospices throughout the country; also recognises that success at fundraising is a vital factor for the continuation of the specialist palliative care they provide for many patients; congratulates the actions of over 100 independent hospice lotteries in the UK that have formed the Hospices Lotteries Association to promote best practice and exchange ideas; supports the proposals being considered for a combined national draw that will benefit individual hospices and will not be in competition with the National Lottery as the first prize proposal is \u00c2\u00a3100,000; notes that the current limit on proceeds laid down in the Gaming Act 2005 is \u00c2\u00a32 million and the combined hospice lotteries could exceed \u00c2\u00a34 million; and calls on the Government to review the limit of proceeds in the Gaming Act 2005 and raise the limit for hospice lotteries in order for hospice supporters to contribute to the charity as a donation to the cause and secure the much needed, vital funds for hospice services.","date":"2008-05-14","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35825","proposer":"10431","edm":"1553","session":"2007-08","title":"Muscular Dystrophy","text":"That this House welcomes the publication of a new report by leading neuromuscular physiotherapists and clinicians as part of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign's Building on the Foundations campaign; recognises that for many adults and children living in Wales with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions physiotherapy is essential in maintaining the best quality of life, for the longest time possible; is concerned that many patients in Wales with neuromuscular conditions are being denied timely and ongoing physiotherapy on the NHS; notes that young adults often have their physiotherapy withdrawn when they reach adulthood; further notes the serious concerns raised in the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign's oral evidence to the Welsh Affairs Select Committee regarding cross-border arrangements; urges the Welsh Assembly Government to undertake a review of neuromuscular services; and calls on the Welsh Assembly Government to recognise neuromuscular services as a specialist service best delivered as part of a multidisciplinary team, to ensure improved standards of care for all patients with neuromuscular conditions.","date":"2008-05-13","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35818","proposer":"10602","edm":"1548","session":"2007-08","title":"Drugs And Alcohol Rehabilitation At Wandsworth Prison","text":"That this House congratulates the prison staff, drugs rehabilitation volunteers and prisoners on the success of RAPt (Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust) at Wandsworth Prison; believes that the success is in part due to the specialist unit; notes that the RAPt programme is available in a number of UK prisons and is a three stage intervention consisting of assessment, primary treatment and aftercare based on the 12 Steps of Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous; further notes that research indicates that 53 per cent. of RAPt graduates remained crime and drug free six months after release, with only 20 per cent. re-offending within that period; considers that this treatment should be made available to all those trying to overcome drug and alcohol dependence, irrespective of age, gender, class and ability to pay; and calls on the Government to widen availability to such programmes.","date":"2008-05-12","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35819","proposer":"10602","edm":"1549","session":"2007-08","title":"Herbal Clinic At The Royal London Homeopathic Hospital","text":"That this House welcomes the opening of the first NHS herbal clinic at the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital (RLHH); notes that the clinic is staffed by highly qualified conventionally-trained doctors with additional qualifications in complementary medicine; further notes that herbal medicines can be used for a wide range of conditions, acute and long-term, alone or as a complement to other treatments; considers that herbal medicine is particularly helpful in treating skin and digestive disorders, allergies, joint problems, stress and recurring infections, thus saving funds and resources in NHS primary care facilities; observes that the clinic only uses herbal medicines produced to the highest standards and approved by UCLH's Use of Medicines Committee; welcomes the RLHH's aim to integrate clinical excellence in complementary therapies with the best of conventional medicine; and calls on the Government to establish a network of integrated healthcare clinics encompassing herbal medicine at the existing regional homeopathic hospitals.","date":"2008-05-12","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35820","proposer":"10602","edm":"1550","session":"2007-08","title":"LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND'S HERITAGE OF MENTAL HEALTH","text":"That this House welcomes the Progress in Our Age Exhibition touring Leicestershire and Rutland to highlight improvements in mental health, produced by Recovery Resources Charity; further welcomes the publication of the book Leicestershire and Rutland Heritage of Mental Health, an account of the history of the treatment of mental health problems and two pamphlets of the experiences of those suffering from mental health problems in these counties; congratulates the charity on the grants received from various sources including Comic Relief, Henry Smith Charity, CSIP and Attend; hopes that the charity will receive funding from Leicestershire Partnership and the Lottery in the future to enable the project to tour other counties in the UK; notes that the experience of Leicestershire and Rutland Heritage of Mental Health is that homeopathic remedies are especially useful in addressing suicidal feelings and in enabling compulsion to be lessened; and calls on the Government to encourage the use of homeopathy in psychiatric wards and doctors' surgeries.","date":"2008-05-12","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35821","proposer":"10602","edm":"1551","session":"2007-08","title":"30th Anniversary Of The Society Of Homeopaths And Regulation","text":"That this House congratulates the Society of Homeopaths on its 30 year anniversary conference at the University of Leicester; welcomes the contribution the Society has made to the development of the homeopathic profession during that time; notes that it is the largest professional body within homeopathy, representing 60 per cent. of registered homeopaths in the United Kingdom and was the first to form a register of members, establish professional standards and institute code of ethics and fitness to practise procedures; observes that the Society has decided to take the first step towards establishing the first independent register and regulatory body for homeopaths; believes that better regulation has helped other professions like osteopathy and chiropractice to become more accessible to the public through the NHS; encourages all organisations representing homeopaths to work with the Society to ensure that the homeopathic field is united in its drive towards better regulation; and calls on the Government to provide all necessary support to the homeopathic profession to achieve its goals.","date":"2008-05-12","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35766","proposer":"11427","edm":"1498","session":"2007-08","title":"Improving Provision For Those With Neuromuscular Conditions","text":"That this House welcomes the publication of a new report on physiotherapy by leading neuromuscular physiotherapists and clinicians as part of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign's Building on the Foundations campaign; recognises that for many adults and children with neuromuscular conditions physiotherapy is essential in maintaining the best quality of life, for the longest time possible; is concerned that many patients with chronic conditions are being denied ongoing physiotherapy on the NHS; notes that young adults often have their physiotherapy withdrawn when they reach adulthood; further notes that specialist physiotherapy services are vulnerable where they rely on charitable sector funding; urges specialised commissioning groups to follow the lead of the South West and undertake reviews of neuromuscular services; and calls on the Department of Health to recognise neuromuscular services as a specialist service best delivered as part of a multidisciplinary team and to ensure improved standards of care for all patients with neuromuscular conditions.","date":"2008-05-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35778","proposer":"10282","edm":"1510","session":"2007-08","title":"Early Intervention Policy To Tackle Stammering","text":"That this House believes that the opportunity presented by the Bercow Review to introduce an early intervention policy for children who stammer, which would allow nine out of 10 of those at risk of persistent stammering to talk fluently for the rest of their lives, should be taken; expresses its concern that there is currently no system within the education system or the NHS to inform and encourage early intervention for stammering, nor sufficient resources or training to provide suitable speech therapies throughout England and Wales; recognises that stammering is a neurological condition, affecting around 720,000 adults and children in the UK, from which adults cannot be cured, as the stammer becomes effectively hard-wired into their brains; and understands that early intervention as soon as the stammer is obvious, which is normally around the age of three, will allow almost 90 per cent. of those children at risk of persistent stammering to recover, enabling them to avoid the frustration, teasing and isolation which affects so many children who stammer, and will let them grow up more able to achieve their ambitions and make more of their work and social lives, whilst reducing long-term costs to the NHS and bringing people who stammer more fully into society and the workforce.","date":"2008-05-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35751","proposer":"10571","edm":"1485","session":"2007-08","title":"Unnecessary Hospital Admissions For Asthma","text":"That this House is concerned that children in some primary care trusts are eight times more likely than children in other primary care trusts to have a hospital admission for their asthma; notes that respiratory conditions are the second most common cause of hospital admissions in the UK and that 75 per cent. of emergency asthma admissions are thought to be avoidable; supports Asthma UK's Wish You Were Here? campaign launched on World Asthma Day 2008 which draws attention to shocking disparities in hospital admission rates for asthma across the country; and calls on the Government to prioritise the effective diagnosis, treatment and management of asthma, to develop and implement clear and consistent national quality standards for asthma services, to encourage primary care trusts to adopt Asthma UK's Good Asthma Services Checklist and to work with primary care trusts and other healthcare providers, employers, people with asthma, carers and patient organisations to identify and reduce risk factors for asthma and asthma attacks.","date":"2008-05-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35755","proposer":"10569","edm":"1489","session":"2007-08","title":"Nhs Allergy Services","text":"That this House welcomes the newly established All Party Parliamentary Group on Allergy and its aim to raise awareness in Parliament of the need to improve the provision of, and access to, NHS allergy services across the country; expresses concern that despite the recommendations made in reports by the Health Select Committee and the Lords Science and Technology Committee on allergy and a recent review of allergy services by the Department of Health, there is still an unacceptable gap between patient need and service provision because there is only a vestigial allergy service in the UK and too few posts across the country are being funded for allergist specialists; acknowledges the National Allergy Strategy Group's estimates that around 18 million people in the UK live with a disease where allergy may be involved and that around seven million of those have allergy severe enough to require specialist care; and calls for more allergy specialist posts to be created and funded in the NHS, the greater prioritisation and effective commissioning of allergy services to take place at the local level, and adequate training to be provided to enable effective referral and management of less severe allergies in primary care.","date":"2008-05-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35761","proposer":"11245","edm":"1465A1","session":"2007-08","title":"Polyclinics","text":"after `scratch', insert `and will duplicate and make redundant existing primary healthcare assets'.","date":"2008-05-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35762","proposer":"11245","edm":"1465A2","session":"2007-08","title":"Polyclinics","text":"after `relationship', insert `, the provision of and access to pharmacy services,'.","date":"2008-05-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35730","proposer":"10586","edm":"1465","session":"2007-08","title":"Polyclinics","text":"That this House notes the queue of private health companies, including Serco, United Health, Virgin Healthcare and Assura, lining up behind the Government's polyclinics policy; observes that a survey undertaken by The Pulse magazine shows 85 per cent. of general practitioners feel that polyclinics will harm patient care; believes that all new polyclinics would be built from scratch and is alarmed that the total cost of the Government's plans is unknown; is concerned that the taxpayer will fund any future construction programme through costly, lengthy and inflexible private finance initiative contracts such as the local improvement finance trust; is wary of Lord Darzi's comment that his review represents an important opportunity to take stock of the progress of recent years in improving the quality of care and up the pace of improvement going forward; regards the Darzi Review as the political engine for polyclinics; further believes that polyclinics would introduce a system of free market competition in NHS primary health care to the detriment of general practice, patient access, the general practitioner-patient relationship and public service; finds it ironic that those nations which have been delivering health care through polyclinics are now generally retreating towards the long-standing existing UK model; and calls upon the Government to scrap its plans for polyclinics and to suspend the Darzi Review.","date":"2008-04-30","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35719","proposer":"11592","edm":"1457","session":"2007-08","title":"10th Anniversary Of The Lavender Trust","text":"That this House congratulates the Lavender Trust at Breast Cancer Care on its 10th anniversary; notes that the Lavender Trust was co-founded by Beth Wagstaff and Justine Picardie and is the only fund in the UK dedicated to addressing the particular needs of younger women with breast cancer; acknowledges that over one-fifth of breast cancer patients are women under 50 years of age who often face an uncertain future, early menopause and child care issues; further notes the variety of free support funded by the Lavender Trust including publications, workshops and telephone support; pays tribute to the dedication of all involved with the Lavender Trust over the last 10 years; and wishes them every success for the future.","date":"2008-04-29","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35686","proposer":"10116","edm":"1427","session":"2007-08","title":"Health Funding For Disabled Children","text":"That this House welcomes the commitments in the cross-government review of services for disabled children Aiming High for Disabled Children: Better Support for Families to improve the quality of services for disabled children with complex health, mobility and palliative care needs; notes that, further to the review, the NHS Operating Framework for 2008-09 establishes disabled children as one of only four local priority groups for primary care trusts; commends the work of Every Disabled Child Matters, the Association for Children's Palliative Care, the Association of Children's Hospices and Whizz-Kidz in raising awareness of the challenges faced by disabled children and their families in accessing the health services they need; and calls on the Government to quantify the NHS funding for 2008 to 2011 allocated to improve the provision of short breaks for disabled children, children's palliative care services, community equipment for disabled children and wheelchair services for disabled children.","date":"2008-04-25","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35673","proposer":"11971","edm":"1422","session":"2007-08","title":"National Depression Week","text":"That this House notes that national depression week occurs between 21st and 26th April; further notes that depression is a common illness, which will affect one in five people during their lifetime; further notes that access to psychological therapies for depression, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, is still severely restricted; recognises that access to such therapy would not only have a huge impact on patients themselves, but also dramatically cut the number of people who are forced onto incapacity benefit because of their illness; urges the Government to fully implement the Layard proposals to ensure access to suitable psychological therapy for those who need it; and further urges the Government to move beyond mere treatment of mental illness and work to promote mental wellbeing across the nation to help reduce the incidence of future depression cases.","date":"2008-04-24","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35677","proposer":"10586","edm":"1352A1","session":"2007-08","title":"Ms Week","text":"leave out `including' and insert `excluding'.","date":"2008-04-24","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35649","proposer":"11651","edm":"1399","session":"2007-08","title":"Revised National Institute For Health And Clinical Excellence Guidelines On The Treatment Of Age-Related Macular Degeneration","text":"That this House welcomes the change in draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) on the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration through the prescription of Lucentis; notes with concern that its additional proposal to ration patients to 14 injections of Lucentis paid for by the NHS would deny further treatment to those unable to afford it privately; and calls on NICE to reconsider its recommendations on treatment using the drug Macugen.","date":"2008-04-23","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35658","proposer":"10619","edm":"1408","session":"2007-08","title":"Registration Of Adult Health And Social Care Providers","text":"That this House welcomes the Government's Health and Social Care Bill; recognises the importance of preventing and controlling healthcare-acquired infections; notes the publication on 25th March of the draft consultation document which closes on 17th June; and urges the Government, in the interests of consistency of healthcare standards, to include non-emergency patient transport services within the regulatory framework of the Care Quality Commission.","date":"2008-04-23","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35630","proposer":"10023","edm":"1383","session":"2007-08","title":"Independent Reconfiguration Panel","text":"That this House congratulates the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) on its report on the services at the Horton General Hospital in Banbury; notes that the IRP did not support the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust's proposals to reconfigure services in paediatrics, obstetrics, gynaecology and the Special Baby Care Unit at the Horton Hospital because the IRP did not consider that the proposed changes would provide an accessible or improved service to the people of North Oxfordshire and the surrounding areas; further notes that the IRP indicated that the Oxford Radcliffe NHS Trust must do more to develop clinically integrated practice across the Horton, John Radcliffe and Churchill Hospital sites, as well as developing wider clinical networks with other hospitals, primary care and the independent sector; further notes that the IRP report has been endorsed and supported by the Secretary of State for Health who has indicated that any service reconfiguration at the Horton has to be as against a background of a `framework of investment'; welcomes this commitment by the IRP to seek to ensure the viability of local hospitals and provide the opportunity for all the stakeholders concerned to have time to develop a viable vision for children's and maternity services; and calls on the Government to continue to recognise the importance of local hospitals and accessible local medical services.","date":"2008-04-22","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35635","proposer":"10527","edm":"1388","session":"2007-08","title":"Five Year Anniversary Of The National Service Framework For Diabetes","text":"That this House recognises the five year anniversary of the National Service Framework (NSF) for Diabetes; regrets that although good practice exists it is not universal and there are significant numbers of people with diabetes who do not have access to the best possible treatment and care; further notes that failure to deliver on the standards in the NSF will mean that people with diabetes face a higher risk of complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness and lower-limb amputation; and therefore welcomes Diabetes UK's report Five years - half way there? that highlights some of the gaps; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to conduct a national review of what has been achieved to date and what needs to be prioritised in the next five years.","date":"2008-04-22","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35589","proposer":"10040","edm":"1345","session":"2007-08","title":"Brain Cancer","text":"That this House welcomes the new focus on child health announced by Department of Health Ministers on 17th March in Brain Tumour Awareness Month, but draws attention to the significantly increased numbers of childhood cancers registered annually since 1962 (up 35 per cent.); notes that some 300 children a year are found to be suffering from brain cancer, and that it is believed that brain cancers now account for more deaths among children and the under 40 year olds than any other cancer; further notes that the five year survival rate of all cancers now stands at 50 per cent. but that the comparative survival rates for males and females with brain cancer are 12 per cent. and 15 per cent. respectively; and urges the Government to encourage more laboratory research into brain cancer and to study the reasons why certain other EU countries achieve significantly better survival rates for children and adults suffering from brain cancer so that the NHS can adopt best treatment practice.","date":"2008-04-21","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35596","proposer":"10240","edm":"1352","session":"2007-08","title":"Ms Week","text":"That this House supports the 2008 MS week which runs from 21st to 27th April 2008; recognises that the UK has one of the highest prevalence rates of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the world and that the condition impacts on all aspects of a person's life; notes the current shortage of effective treatments or a cure for MS; supports the exploration of important new avenues of research into MS and other conditions such as Parkinson's disease and motor neurone disease, including potential developments in the use of hybrid embryos as part of research; and welcomes the MS Society's growing investment in essential research.","date":"2008-04-21","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35604","proposer":"10288","edm":"1360","session":"2007-08","title":"Osteopathy","text":"That this House congratulates the osteopathic profession on its 10 year anniversary of professional regulation; welcomes the report Working for a Safer Tomorrow carried out by Dame Carol Black; notes the report's conclusions that 175 million working days were lost to the economy in 2006 due to ill health, costing the UK economy between \u00c2\u00a3103 billion and \u00c2\u00a3129 billion, taking into account benefits, health care, taxes foregone, lost production, sickness absence and informal care; further notes that one in every eight people taking time off work due to illness or injury has a musculoskeletal condition; endorses the Fit to Work strategy recommendation that different forms of healthcare currently provided by the private sector could be provided by the NHS; welcomes the Fit to Work strategy's potential projected savings to the NHS of \u00c2\u00a3130 million; notes the Society for Occupational Medicine's estimate that an additional 1,800 health specialists will be required to meet the report's proposals; recognises that there are over 4,000 registered osteopaths in the UK carrying out over seven million treatments per year; and urges the Government to include osteopathy as part of the Fit to Work strategy.","date":"2008-04-21","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35567","proposer":"10014","edm":"1326","session":"2007-08","title":"Make Chatter Matter Campaign","text":"That this House congratulates I CAN, the children's communication charity, on its Make Chatter Matter campaign, supported by the BT Better World Campaign and Openreach; recognises that communication is the foundation life skill which underpins the Every Child Matters aims of enabling children to be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being; notes with concern that speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) is one of the biggest causes of developmental delay in children and that in some parts of the UK as many as half the children entering primary school have SLCN; stresses the vitally important role that I CAN plays throughout the UK in helping to address children's communication needs and champion their interests; notes the role that The Communication Trust - hosted by I CAN - plays in ensuring that the entire children's workforce are given the skills to support children's communication development; and urges the Government to develop a national framework for speech and language, ensuring that through world class commissioning every local area configures services to support children with SLCN at every age and stage of development.","date":"2008-04-03","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35574","proposer":"10459","edm":"1334","session":"2007-08","title":"Specialist Trauma Response Teams","text":"That this House applauds the invaluable work undertaken by specialist trauma response teams that provide life-saving and expert treatment to patients at the incident location; notes that providing accident and emergency support direct to the patient before they reach hospital can make the difference between life and death; further notes that outside London this is conducted on a voluntary basis with no public funding; believes that it is an unacceptable risk for the health service to be relying on off-duty volunteers to provide such an essential service that saves lives; supports the recommendations made by the `Trauma: Who cares?' report of the National Confidential Inquiry into Patient Outcome and Death 2007; and calls on the Government to urgently review policy in this area with a view to providing funding for these services.","date":"2008-04-03","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35553","proposer":"10378","edm":"1314","session":"2007-08","title":"Epilepsy And Special Educational Needs","text":"That this House congratulates the Joint Epilepsy Council on its campaign to ensure that the Department for Children, Schools and Families recognises epilepsy as a condition that causes special educational needs (SEN); notes with concern that children and young people with epilepsy routinely experience potential health, learning, behavioural and emotional needs as a direct result of their epilepsy; regrets that around two-thirds of children and young people with epilepsy who attend mainstream schools are believed to underachieve academically; further notes that this equates to 40,000 affected children, given that there are 60,000 children with epilepsy in UK schools; and urges the Government to consider the needs of children and young people with epilepsy when enacting the Children's Plan commitment to improve SEN data collection.","date":"2008-04-02","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35546","proposer":"10586","edm":"1277A1","session":"2007-08","title":"End Of Life Care","text":"at end add `or in specialist local hospices.'.","date":"2008-04-01","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35512","proposer":"10385","edm":"1277","session":"2007-08","title":"End Of Life Care","text":"That this House notes that, according to a leading expert, for 90 per cent. of cancer patients pain can be managed equally well at home as in hospital; and calls on the Government to increase funding to enable end of life care to be provided at home.","date":"2008-03-31","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35513","proposer":"10080","edm":"1278","session":"2007-08","title":"Abuse And Inappropriate Prescribing","text":"That this House welcomes the announcement that the Department of Health and Comic Relief plan to commission a prevalence study into the level of abuse in care homes; believes this is essential, but not sufficient to tackle the problem; calls for tough action by commissioners and the Commission for Social Care Inspection to put the minority of abusive homes out of business, and for police action to put the worst offenders behind bars; considers that the law is being broken every day by doctors who prescribe, and care home staff who administer antipsychotic drugs to older people with dementia to keep them quiet and manageable as a form of chemical restraint; further believes that the evidence clearly shows that these drugs shorten lives, increase the risk of stroke and have other harmful side-effects; further calls on the Government to ban the use of antipsychotic drugs in all but the most severe cases of dementia and to ensure that their use is routinely reviewed; and urges the Government to ensure that the National Dementia Strategy delivers dignity for older people and ends the scandal of abusive prescribing.","date":"2008-03-31","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35516","proposer":"10116","edm":"1281","session":"2007-08","title":"Better At Home Campaign","text":"That this House welcomes the Better at Home campaign launched by WellChild and the Royal College of Nursing to bring attention to the disparity in service provision across England for children and young people with long-term complex care needs and their families; further welcomes the campaign's call for timely and effective care packages to be delivered at home for children and young people with long-term complex health care needs ensuring that their health, social care and education needs are met; and supports the call for greater financial investment in the provision of specialist children's nurses to work specifically with this group of vulnerable children and young people to bridge the gap between hospital and community services.","date":"2008-03-31","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35507","proposer":"11032","edm":"1272","session":"2007-08","title":"Nice Guidelines On Sickle Cell And Thalassaemia Screening","text":"That this House notes the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines, published on 26th March, and particularly welcomes the recognition of the importance of offering screening for Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia before 10 weeks of pregnancy; further notes that the majority of women access primary care services early in their pregnancy; believes that there is an urgent need to develop dialogue between primary care and maternity care services to capitalise on this early access by providing timely information, counselling and screening; and calls for the recommendations, as set out by NICE, to be adopted and for discussions to take place in primary care to identify ways to meet this ambitious target.","date":"2008-03-27","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35488","proposer":"10431","edm":"1254","session":"2007-08","title":"Protection Of Nhs Staff In Wales","text":"That this House calls on the Government to make it its policy to amend the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill in order to ensure that the protections provided in the Bill for NHS staff and premises apply to both Wales and England; notes that whereas the management of NHS services is devolved to the National Assembly for Wales, criminal justice issues are not devolved; and believes that the primary legislation should apply across England and Wales, preferably to hospices and palliative care establishments, as well as to all NHS establishments irrespective of their form of governance.","date":"2008-03-25","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35460","proposer":"10646","edm":"1233","session":"2007-08","title":"Poisons Information Service","text":"That this House expresses its concern about the threat to the future of the Guy's and St Thomas' Poisons Unit (GTPU) which provides a 24-hour poisons advice and support service to clinical staff in both human and animal healthcare; notes that it has operated continuously for 44 years and has answered over 2.8 million telephone enquiries; further expresses its concern that the Health Protection Agency has decided not to offer the Guy's and St Thomas' Foundation Trust a contract to provide a poisons information service of which the Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS) is a part; recognises that the loss of the VPIS would have serious implications for animal welfare; and calls on the Department of Health to take urgent action to secure the long-term future of the VPIS regardless of the outcome of the current discussions between the Guy's and St Thomas' Foundation Trust and the Health Protection Agency.","date":"2008-03-19","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35438","proposer":"10716","edm":"1212","session":"2007-08","title":"Race For Chase Fundraising Event","text":"That this House supports the Race for Chase, a five day bike ride from Lands End to John O'Groats between 29th June and 3rd July organised by parents of Fraser Russell in their work to raise funds for and support Chase Hospice; notes that Chase Hospice Care for Children exists to support families with life-limited children, children or young people who are not expected to reach the age of 19 years because of incurable illnesses; commends all those involved; and calls on the Government to give its support to the Race for Chase and recognise the bravery of both parents and children who rely on Chase Hospice Care for Children.","date":"2008-03-18","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35440","proposer":"10256","edm":"1214","session":"2007-08","title":"Interstitial Lung Disease","text":"That this House notes the growing number of cases of interstitial lung disease over the last two decades; recognises that investment in respiratory research in the UK has been disproportionately low in comparison with the massive burden of lung disease; calls on the Government to increase from six the number of interstitial lung disease specialist nurses nationwide and to increase resources for respiratory research and NHS palliative and support services for those diagnosed; and further calls upon the Government to provide an improved financing framework that better reflects the number of professionals involved and the processes and time required for the diagnosis of the disease.","date":"2008-03-18","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35446","proposer":"10527","edm":"1220","session":"2007-08","title":"Diabetes-Induced Miscarriage And Stillbirths In South Asian Women","text":"That this House recognises that South Asian women have over twice the risk of losing a baby in the early stages of pregnancy, compared to European women, due to complications caused by type 2 diabetes; notes that poor social conditions, language barriers and an unhealthy diet all contribute to these poor pregnancy outcomes; recognises that those of Asian background are up to six times more likely to develop diabetes and that diabetes affects this community five to 10 years earlier than the general population; understands insulin, which can provide a solution to many of the problems associated with diabetes during pregnancy, unfortunately carries a stigma within the South Asian community; congratulates local initiatives such as the Apnee Sehat social enterprise which has developed a targeted educational DVD to provide guidance and practical information for pregnant women; commends such educational resources being tailored to raise health risk awareness in South Asian communities and promoting lifestyle changes to prevent this disease; and urges the Department of Health to use this beacon DVD as a best practice tool and calls for this to be made available to primary care trusts across the UK.","date":"2008-03-18","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35394","proposer":"10004","edm":"1173","session":"2007-08","title":"National Institute For Health And Clinical Excellence Appraisal Of Treatment For Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension","text":"That this House expresses its concern at the Appraisal Consultation Document regarding treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE); notes that NICE's recommendation to no longer use intravenous epoprostenol and inhaled iloprost would have a direct impact on existing and future patients with this life threatening disease; further notes that the effective combination, dual and triple therapies which 25 per cent. of patients receive will be withdrawn without an alternative; further notes that there will be no therapies available for the most severely ill patients; acknowledges that NICE currently considers therapies which exceed a cost of \u00c2\u00a330,000 per quality adjusted life year not to be cost-effective, which is inappropriate in the assessment of rare conditions like pulmonary arterial hypertension; further notes that NICE has not followed the principles laid out in its own position paper when considering very rare conditions; and therefore calls on NICE to carefully consider representations made in response to its preliminary recommendations by stakeholder groups such as the Pulmonary Hypertension Association UK, clinical experts and patient groups, and allow the continued prescribing of effective drug therapies by expert clinicians in the seven designated specialist treatment centres in the UK, in accordance with the consensus document published in March.","date":"2008-03-12","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35405","proposer":"10226","edm":"1136A1","session":"2007-08","title":"Hospital Meals","text":"leave out from `untenable;' to end and insert `notes that a survey by leading children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent found that, overall, the quality of food provided to children and young people with cancer in hospital is rated as poor; further notes that adequate and effective nutrition can help speed recovery for these children; and urges the Government to work with best practice hospitals in ensuring that all children with cancer are offered decent food in hospital which is fit to eat'.'","date":"2008-03-12","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35356","proposer":"10190","edm":"1136","session":"2007-08","title":"Hospital Meals","text":"That this House notes that \u00c2\u00a33 per patient is spent on meals in hospitals, 70 pence per pupil is spent on meals in schools and up to \u00c2\u00a312 is spent on meals for prisoners held in police cells; is concerned that these figures are unjust and that the situation is untenable; and calls on the Government to conduct an immediate review of spending priorities in hospitals, schools and prisons.","date":"2008-03-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35340","proposer":"10063","edm":"1121","session":"2007-08","title":"WORLD'S BIGGEST COFFEE MORNING","text":"That this House congratulates Macmillan Cancer Support for organising the World's Biggest Coffee Morning, which this year is taking place on 26th September, in which groups of people all over the country will be preparing morning drinks and snacks and raising funds for the fight against cancer; recognises the fantastic achievements of the coffee mornings of other years, in particular last year's which saw 50,000 separate coffee morning community events; notes that such publicity campaigns are key to raising funds and generating awareness in the fight against cancer; and further congratulates all those organising and taking part in the events this year.","date":"2008-03-05","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35317","proposer":"10670","edm":"1102","session":"2007-08","title":"Headache Disorders","text":"That this House notes that up to 15 per cent. of the population in the UK suffer from headache disorders and in the wider population headache is an almost universal experience; notes that headaches and migraines are under-diagnosed and inadequately treated in the UK and that quality of life implications are not appreciated; is concerned that there is a lack of research and adequate provision of training and services; and asks the Government to give this urgent consideration.","date":"2008-03-04","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35327","proposer":"10123","edm":"1112","session":"2007-08","title":"Nhs Maternity Services","text":"That this House is concerned by the \u00c2\u00a355 million fall in spending on NHS maternity services in the last financial year; notes with concern that the share of the NHS budget spent on maternity services fell from 3 per cent. to 2 per cent. between 1997-98 and 2006-07; is worried that this has happened despite the number of births in England rising by 13 per cent. over the last five years to stand at the highest level since 1993; welcomes the commitment by the Department of Health to increase the NHS maternity services budget by \u00c2\u00a3122 million by 2010-11; recognises however that the deadline for delivering on the ambitious and much-needed guarantees made in the Maternity Matters strategy is the end of 2009; and therefore urges the Government to announce in the forthcoming budget an additional, immediate and substantial step change in funding for NHS maternity services.","date":"2008-03-04","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35296","proposer":"10226","edm":"1087","session":"2007-08","title":"Twentieth Anniversary Of Nhs Breast And Cervical Screening","text":"That this House notes that 2008 marks the 20th anniversary of the introduction of the NHS breast and cervical screening programmes; commends the programmes for the thousands of lives saved through the early detection of cancer; thanks all those NHS staff who have made these achievements possible; and hopes that the screening programmes continue to build on this success over the next 20 years.","date":"2008-03-03","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35304","proposer":"11323","edm":"1096","session":"2007-08","title":"Parking Charges At Welsh Hospitals","text":"That this House congratulates the Welsh Assembly Government on its decision to scrap parking charges at Welsh hospitals.","date":"2008-03-03","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35279","proposer":"10754","edm":"1078","session":"2007-08","title":"Specialist Products And Services For Incontinence And Stoma Patients","text":"That this House notes that 450,000 people use stoma or incontinence items to manage their health conditions; recognises that modern stoma and incontinence products enable these people to maintain their quality of life, retain their dignity, continue working and avoid repeated hospital episodes; notes that the consultation on Department of Health proposals to introduce major price cuts for these specialist products as part of a broad review of stoma and incontinence products and services has now closed; welcomes the ongoing involvement of many patients in the review process; acknowledges patients' concerns that the implementation of the proposals may lead to the withdrawal of the most specialised medical devices thus causing major disruption to vulnerable people and reducing patient choice; notes that product withdrawals would also greatly increase the demands on overworked specialist nurses who would be required to reassess patient needs and prescribe alternative products; therefore welcomes the Department of Health's commitment to consult further on the impact of their proposals and conduct full impact assessment; and calls on the Department of Health to listen to the concerns of patient organisations, industry, NHS professionals and all other stakeholders to ensure that any changes to the current payment system do not lead to withdrawal of specialist NHS prescription products or otherwise adversely impact upon patients' quality of life.","date":"2008-02-28","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35280","proposer":"10677","edm":"1079","session":"2007-08","title":"Wet Age Related Macular Degeneration","text":"That this House welcomes the announcement by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) of a review of its earlier appraisal consultation document regarding anti-VEGF treatments for wet age related macular degeneration (wet AMD); acknowledges that allocation of treatment according to the latest appraisal consultation document could potentially save the sight of as many as 26,000 patients per annum; welcomes the level of co-operation between NICE, the Royal National Institute for the Blind and members of the pharmaceutical industry in bringing about a satisfactory solution; looks forward to full guidance on anti-VEGF treatments for patients with wet AMD being published by NICE; and hopes that this guidance will be implemented as swiftly as possible by local primary care trusts.","date":"2008-02-28","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35249","proposer":"10442","edm":"1051","session":"2007-08","title":"Right Care Right Deal","text":"That this House welcomes the Right Care Right Deal Campaign launched by Counsel and Care, Carers UK and Help the Aged; notes with concern that two thirds of people in the UK have no plans to put aside any money to fund their social care; further notes that the value of unpaid care for the over 65s together with the cost of privately-funded care is now \u00c2\u00a325,000 per older person per year; recalls that 1.9 million disabled people over 65 years receive no state funded care and rely on informal care; recognises that this figure is set to grow to 2.6 million by 2022; further notes with alarm that three in four local authorities only provide care to people whose needs are critical or substantial; and therefore calls on the Government to provide a fair, simple and consistent deal for social care that is simple to understand and access, reaches more people and supports carers and families.","date":"2008-02-26","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35197","proposer":"10372","edm":"999","session":"2007-08","title":"Open Every Door The Song For Autism","text":"That this House welcomes the re-release of the song for autism Open Every Door by Media Eye Music in London and recently played over the airwaves of the BBC and other UK radio stations, which was written by the distinguished Sri Lanka born singer\/songwriter Nimal Mendis and sung by the Birmingham-based musician Rozagy, who has Asperger's syndrome; notes that Open Every Door was written about a 12 year old British boy with autism, Charin Corea, who inspired his parents to launch the Autism Awareness Campaign in the United Kingdom; congratulates an ambassador for autism, the South Asian singer Gresha Schuilling who will release Open Every Door for World Autism Awareness Day designated by the United Nations on 2nd April 2008; and calls on the Prime Minister to open every door to every child and adult with autism and Asperger's syndrome in the UK by providing them with better public services in education, health, specialist speech therapy and respite care and providing equality of opportunity, in order for them to play their role in society.","date":"2008-02-21","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35151","proposer":"11581","edm":"958","session":"2007-08","title":"Lyme Disease","text":"That this House acknowledges that Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is a serious and potentially chronic disease which is becoming more widespread across the United Kingdom; notes the growing body of evidence which suggests patients with the disease are frequently subject to misdiagnosis and under-treatment; is concerned that the disease appears to be under-reported and inadequately investigated; and calls upon the Government to put in place a national strategy for reducing the growing toll of ill-health caused by this disease, including the development of clinical guidelines specific to the UK for the use of all medical professionals dealing with patients with this disease.","date":"2008-02-19","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35160","proposer":"12005","edm":"967","session":"2007-08","title":"Organ Donation","text":"That this House welcomes both the recommendations contained in the report from the Organ Donation Taskforce and the Prime Minister's comments that the current system of consent limits the chances of transplant for those awaiting organs; recognises the fine work carried out by NHS staff in difficult circumstances and supports proposals to increase resources to organ transplant teams across the UK; expresses concern that around 8,000 people are currently waiting for organ transplants and that 1,000 people die each year due to a shortage of available organs; considers that this is an avoidable tragedy; and urges the Government to implement the recommendations of the Organ Donation Taskforce and move to an `opt out' system of donation as soon as possible.","date":"2008-02-19","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35162","proposer":"11573","edm":"969","session":"2007-08","title":"The Anthony Nolan Trust And The National Cord Blood Programme","text":"That this House salutes the pioneering work of the Anthony Nolan Trust in establishing and maintaining a national database of bone marrow donors for which they recruit and tissue-type more than 20,000 new entrants each year, giving around 6,000 children and adults a chance of new life since 1974; notes with interest that the Trust, with the support of the East Midlands Development Agency, has begun the establishment of a new Cord Blood Bank which could become a National Cord Blood Programme of a scale to provide a truly national resource for access to umbilical blood stem cells for future treatment and research; believes that this development offers great hope for the future treatment of a wide range of serious medical conditions; and invites the Secretary of State for Health to take a lead in welcoming the Trust's five year aim to collect 50,000 cord blood units with 30,000 able to be used for research purposes.","date":"2008-02-19","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35166","proposer":"10934","edm":"933A1","session":"2007-08","title":"Defence Committee Report On Healthcare","text":"leave out from `Scotland' to end and insert `notes that the report stated that officials under the current administration showed `confusion, incomprehension or ignorance' about the requirements of service personnel and veterans; further notes that the Report intended to portray a fair balance between the historical and current problems in Scotland and continuing problems in linking the Ministry of Defence to some of the devolved administrations; and is disappointed by those who seek to misrepresent the Report in order to score party political points when the best interests of servicemen would be secured by cooperation between all parties in both Holyrood and Westminster.'.","date":"2008-02-19","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35105","proposer":"11923","edm":"924","session":"2007-08","title":"Westmorland General Hospital","text":"That this House is gravely concerned by the continuing plans of the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust to close the coronary care unit and other acute admissions services at Westmorland General Hospital; notes the evidence available which contradicts claims that this would have no effect on the standards of coronary care available; welcomes the intervention of the Healthcare Commission; and strongly urges that plans for the closure of acute admissions services at Westmorland General Hospital should be put on hold until all opinions have been taken into account and other possible actions are considered which maintain or improve upon the current level of care available.","date":"2008-02-18","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35114","proposer":"11189","edm":"933","session":"2007-08","title":"Defence Committee Report On Healthcare","text":"That this House notes the publication of the House of Commons Defence Committee 7th Report of Session 2007-08, which draws attention to the shortcomings of NHS treatment for veterans in Scotland inherited by the current SNP Scottish Government from the previous Labour\/Liberal Democrat administration; further notes that, since taking office in May 2007, the Scottish Government has taken action to improve healthcare for veterans and issued guidance to NHS boards on how priority treatment should be extended to all armed forces veterans, not just those in receipt of war pensions; and commends Cabinet Secretary for Health, Nicola Sturgeon, for acting to ensure that servicemen and women receive the highest quality of healthcare.","date":"2008-02-18","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35089","proposer":"10014","edm":"912","session":"2007-08","title":"Women And Girls And Hiv\/aids","text":"That this House recognises that around the world women and girls are being disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS; notes that gender inequality, violence and discrimination are driving the feminisation of the pandemic; recognises that many HIV and AIDS programmes do not adequately address the specific needs and rights of women and girls; and therefore calls on the Government to show international leadership by placing them at the centre of its revised HIV and AIDS strategy, ensuring men are actively involved as part of the solution.","date":"2008-02-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35093","proposer":"10378","edm":"916","session":"2007-08","title":"Human Papilloma Virus Infection And Genital Warts","text":"That this House welcomes the Prime Minister's statement that preventing ill health is a priority for the Government and notes the opportunity that now exists to prevent future generations suffering from a range of conditions, in addition to cervical cancer, caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV); further notes that genital warts is caused by HPV types six and 11 and is a significant burden on sexual health services costing the NHS an estimated \u00c2\u00a322.5 million per year and causing misery for over 80,000 men and women per annum who receive a new diagnosis, and many others who require repeat treatment; and calls for support for the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, the Terrence Higgins Trust, the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare and the Family Planning Association's request that the Government does not miss the opportunity that now exists and acts to prevent both genital warts and cervical cancer by HPV immunisation.","date":"2008-02-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35073","proposer":"10439","edm":"897","session":"2007-08","title":"Turn On The Tap Campaign","text":"That this House welcomes World Water Day on 22nd March; notes with great concern that over one billion people in the developing world do not have access to safe water, that water-related disease is the second biggest killer of children worldwide and that the average distance walked by women in Africa and Asia to collect water is four miles; encourages participation in Samaritan's Purse's Turn on the Tap walks in Westminster on 18th March and parliamentary constituencies on 10th May to highlight the issue; and supports the work of Samaritan's Purse and others who are contributing towards achieving Millennium Development Goal 7.3 to reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water.","date":"2008-02-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35074","proposer":"10029","edm":"898","session":"2007-08","title":"Child Survival Appeal Campaign","text":"That this House welcomes Save the Children's report on child survival, which includes a new Wealth and Survival Index; notes with grave concern that almost 10 million children die before the age of five each year; further notes that the world is currently off track to meet Millennium Development Goal 4 calling for a reduction of child mortality between 1990 and 2015; recognises it is possible to save millions of children's lives by tackling common killers, such as pneumonia and diarrhoea, as well as addressing underlying structural causes like poverty, inequality and discrimination; and calls on the Government to take concerted action and to play a global leadership role to ensure that all countries and institutions play their full part in the drive to ensure that all children and their mothers get access to basic healthcare, adequate nutrition, clean water and safe sanitation, and opportunities for education.","date":"2008-02-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35037","proposer":"11656","edm":"861","session":"2007-08","title":"National Autistic Society Campaign For Adults With Autism","text":"That this House agrees that all adults with autism should be supported to achieve their potential, including those with Asperger's syndrome; recognises that too many adults with autism are isolated and ignored, struggle to access support and are heavily dependent on their families; congratulates The National Autistic Society for highlighting these issues in its campaign, Think Differently About Autism - I Exist; believes that recording the number of adults with autism nationally and locally would help to improve the planning and delivery of services; further believes that the barriers that prevent adults with autism from accessing services can be overcome; further believes that social support and person-centred services for adults with autism are required; and calls on the Government to develop its expertise in autism and work with local authorities and primary care trusts to put in place the changes that will transform the lives of adults with autism.","date":"2008-02-04","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"35038","proposer":"10428","edm":"862","session":"2007-08","title":"Relate Institute","text":"That this House is aware that Relate, the national charitable organisation dealing with family and other relationship breakdowns across the UK, holds an outstanding reputation in its field of work, in particular in the county of Nottinghamshire in which it extends support to at least 2,500 people per year; understands that it is able to achieve this successfully, not least because of its supply of trained counsellors who are able to work with couples, young people and families in the area; is therefore alarmed by reports that the Relate Institute, a faculty of Doncaster College, a renowned centre of excellence for the study of couple and family relationships, which currently trains approximately 350 students per year, is to have its HEFCE funding withdrawn; and believes that such a move will undermine the Government's stated aim of reaching 900,000 extra individuals skilled in talking therapies by 2011 and create disincentives that will undermine preventative interventions for people needing relationship support in their already difficult lives.","date":"2008-02-04","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34999","proposer":"10074","edm":"831","session":"2007-08","title":"Treatment Of Vasily Aleksanyan In A Russian Prison","text":"That this House notes with concern the refusal of Russian officials to provide medical treatment for Vasily Aleksanyan, the imprisoned former vice-president of Yukos; notes the ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) that he should receive treatment at a specialised clinic immediately; futher notes that his treatment is likely to exacerbate his illness and considers that it is being used to coerce confessions for both his own accused crimes as well as those of his former boss Mikhail Khodorkovsky; is further concerned about the continuing hunger strike by Mr Khodorkovsky; and calls on the Government to urge the Russian government to abide by international law and the ECHR ruling in providing the appropriate medical treatment for Mr Aleksanyan immediately.","date":"2008-01-31","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34971","proposer":"10190","edm":"806","session":"2007-08","title":"Mixed Sex Hospital Wards","text":"That this House notes the Labour Party Manifesto of 1997 which said that `we will work towards the elimination of mixed sex wards'; further notes the Labour Party Manifesto of 2001 which said that `mixed sex wards will be abolished'; recognises that mixed sex wards are a large concern for many patients; realises that dignity and privacy should be afforded to all patients; and calls on the Government to honour its previous manifesto promises and abolish mixed sex wards and to provide a timetable for when this will be achieved.","date":"2008-01-29","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34972","proposer":"10586","edm":"807","session":"2007-08","title":"National Tinnitus Week 2008","text":"That this House notes that tinnitus is a noise in the head with no corresponding external source, which severely affects almost 2.3 million or five per cent. of the adult population in the UK; observes that sufferers can be debilitated and that symptoms can range from disturbed sleep to behavioural changes which can destroy relationships and turn healthy people into recluses unable to work or enjoy a normal life; believes that there needs to be an increased focus on this condition, giving it a proper priority within the NHS; accepts that increased funding and greater awareness would give immeasurable help to sufferers in the UK; applauds the efforts of the British Tinnitus Association (BTA) during National Tinnitus Week, 11th to 17th February; supports the BTA's decision to fund a three year Research Fellowship at the Ear Institute, UCL, which has been made possible by the generosity of members and by legacies; and therefore calls on the Government to match this funding and to give tinnitus a higher priority in the NHS.","date":"2008-01-29","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34976","proposer":"11798","edm":"811","session":"2007-08","title":"Relate UK","text":"That this House celebrates the work of Relate as the United Kingdom's largest provider of relationship counselling and sex therapy; thanks the charity for its work with over 150,000 clients a year, at more than 600 locations across the United Kingdom, to help stabilise relationships; congratulates Relate on its work with sexual and psychosexual therapy; acknowledges the difficulties in funding which the organisation faces; and calls upon the Government to ensure that there is uniformity of gift aid rules in respect to donations to charities.","date":"2008-01-29","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34942","proposer":"10105","edm":"778","session":"2007-08","title":"Resources","text":"That this House is concerned that the current squeeze on Health and Safety Executive (HSE) funding has almost halved the proportion of gross domestic product spent on the organisation since 1992; is worried that the HSE does not have sufficient resources to meet its obligations as a safety and health regulator; believes that the level of fines for criminal breaches of safety and health legislation sends the signal that society does not take death, injury and disease at work as seriously as other forms of business malpractice; and calls on the Government to make more resources available to the HSE as well as increasing the level of fines for safety and health breaches to ensure UK business and society benefits from a strong health and safety culture.","date":"2008-01-24","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34946","proposer":"11489","edm":"782","session":"2007-08","title":"Clinics For People With Neuromuscular Conditions","text":"That this House is concerned that across England and Wales there are significant geographical inequalities in access to health services for patients with neuromuscular conditions; notes with concern that many areas of Wales have no clinics for managing conditions such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Becker Muscular Dystrophy and Myasthenia Gravis; further notes that patients need access to specialist diagnosis, treatment and ongoing care as both children and adults, and that outcomes are improved by care from a specialist multi-disciplinary team; and calls on governments in Westminster and Cardiff to draw up a strategy to ensure that patients across England and Wales have equal access to specialist services through a network of local clinics.","date":"2008-01-24","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34911","proposer":"10647","edm":"749","session":"2007-08","title":"East Cheshire Hospice Christmas Tree Collection","text":"That this House congratulates the 150 volunteers, including Hugh Morgan, Sophia Morgan, Caroline Wilson, Dorian Belt, Andrew Robertson and organiser Richard Raymond, for the East Cheshire Hospice 2008 Christmas Tree Collection carried out on the weekend of 12th and 13th January 2008; notes that this valuable and worthwhile environmental initiative raised well in excess of \u00c2\u00a330,000 this year for the East Cheshire Hospice; further notes that more than \u00c2\u00a3100,000 has been raised since the Christmas tree collection service was first suggested and established in 1999 by the Chapman family of Prestbury; expresses its thanks to Macclesfield Borough Council, its staff and volunteers for their continuing co-operation and assistance with the scheme; further expresses its particular thanks to two individual Macclesfield Borough Council employees who gave their overtime payments to the fund; regrets that the East Cheshire Hospice cannot claim Gift Aid on the monies collected by the annual scheme; and calls on the Government to amend the Gift Aid rules to permit payments and donations in respect of such collection services to be eligible for Gift Aid.","date":"2008-01-22","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34919","proposer":"13735","edm":"757","session":"2007-08","title":"60th Anniversary Of The Nhs And The Tredegar Medical Aid Society","text":"That this House remembers, and pays tribute to, the Tredegar Medical Aid Society and the people of the South Wales Valleys for the part they played in influencing and guiding Aneurin Bevan, then representing the parliamentary constituency now called Blaenau Gwent, in the creation of the National Health Service; celebrates this year, its 60th Anniversary and the role played by Aneurin Bevan in its creation; and reinforces the principle of health provision free at the point of need, which is as relevant today as it was 60 years ago.","date":"2008-01-22","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34899","proposer":"10571","edm":"737","session":"2007-08","title":"BEATING BOWEL CANCER'S BE LOUD! CAMPAIGN","text":"That this House notes that bowel cancer is the UK's second biggest cancer killer resulting in the deaths of around 45 people everyday; further notes that 90 per cent. of people diagnosed could be saved by early detection and effective treatment of bowel cancer; congratulates Beating Bowel Cancer on the Be Loud! campaign and their ongoing work with bowel cancer patients; welcomes the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy and the Government's focus on improving cancer care and services for patients; and calls on the Government to make explicit its commitment to address specific issues raised in Beating Bowel Cancer's Bowel Cancer Challenge including to improve public awareness, extend the bowel cancer screening programme, ensure that clinically effective treatments are available at the right time and in the right setting for all patients, and recognise the value of prolonged quality life these can have for bowel cancer patients and their families.","date":"2008-01-21","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34888","proposer":"11971","edm":"731","session":"2007-08","title":"Measuring Quality Of Life","text":"That this House notes the undertaking of a study by the French government to establish how quality of life indicators can contribute to new methods of economic calculation; further notes the participation in the study of eminent scholars Joseph Stiglitz and Amartya Sen; commends the French government for seeking a more sophisticated method of measuring well-being than straightforward GDP; notes with concern the Answer given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 29th November 2007, Official Report, column 428, on well-being, which failed to acknowledge the need for improved measurements of quality of life, despite the stated aim of the Treasury being to `raise the rate of sustainable growth and to achieve rising prosperity and a better quality of life'; further notes that for the last 50 years material wealth in the UK has increased dramatically but surveys show that expressed levels of well-being, or happiness, have remained static; and urges the Government to both endorse and participate in the French study, with the aim of improving the well-being, not simply the wealth, of all people in the UK.","date":"2008-01-17","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34865","proposer":"10009","edm":"708","session":"2007-08","title":"Hepatitis B And The Rising Curve Report","text":"That this House is alarmed by the figures exposed in the Rising Curve report published by the Hepatitis B Foundation UK, revealing that chronic hepatitis B in the UK has doubled since 2002, rising from 180,000 people to 325,000; calls on the Department of Health to revise figures on chronic hepatitis B to ensure trusts receive the full funding necessary for hepatitis B prevention and treatment; further calls upon the Government to implement urgently a hepatitis B strategy and preventative public health measures on hepatitis B, including a reappraisal of the current vaccination policy; and further calls upon Government to introduce an effective GP and public education plan on hepatitis B in the UK.","date":"2008-01-16","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34868","proposer":"10442","edm":"711","session":"2007-08","title":"European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week","text":"That this House calls on the Government to support the European Cervical Cancer Association and Jo's Trust Pearl of Wisdom campaign to raise awareness of cervical cancer prevention and advocate the implementation of prevention programmes across Europe; commends the STOP cervical cancer petition at www.cervicalcancerpetition.eu; notes the importance of women attending cervical screening; urges women everywhere to encourage friends, family and colleagues to accept their invitation to be screened; further notes the recent report on the lack of screening in England for women between 20 and 25 years of age; and urges the Government to take action to offer these women access to cervical screening or human papilloma virus vaccination.","date":"2008-01-16","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34861","proposer":"10123","edm":"705","session":"2007-08","title":"Autism","text":"That this House supports the call of Ivan Corea of the Autism Awareness Campaign UK for a national strategy on autism and a 10 year plan of action on autism and Asperger's syndrome; notes that the Prime Minister recently met Mr Corea and discussed autism; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to support the idea of an Autism Taskforce in order for Government departments, the voluntary sector, charities, community groups and parents groups to work together to address the serious education and health issues facing parents, carers and people with autism and Asperger's syndrome.","date":"2008-01-15","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34842","proposer":"10428","edm":"687","session":"2007-08","title":"NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR COLITIS AND CROHN'S DISEASE","text":"That this House records its thanks for the outstanding work of the National Association of Colitis and Crohn's Disease, the voluntary organisation working to improve the lives of people affected by inflammatory bowel conditions; notes its campaign to highlight, amongst other things, the importance of the provision and training of specialist nurses to help care for sufferers of such diseases; recalls that the Department of Health is currently reviewing its strategy on managing chronic illnesses; and calls upon the Government to deliver the necessary financial and technical support needed for the effective management of such illnesses.","date":"2008-01-14","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34790","proposer":"10043","edm":"637","session":"2007-08","title":"Disability Poverty In The UK","text":"That this House notes that the Leonard Cheshire Disability report Disability Poverty in the UK finds that disabled people are twice as likely as non-disabled people to live in poverty; further notes that disabled people can experience poverty in a number of ways including financial poverty, poverty of aspiration and poverty of opportunity; further notes that average basic living costs are much higher for disabled people; further notes that disabled people are twice as likely to be unemployed and seeking work than non-disabled people and that disabled people who are not expected to work are often trapped in inescapable poverty; believes that the extent of disability poverty in the UK today is unacceptable; and calls on the Government to make tackling disability poverty a priority.","date":"2008-01-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34739","proposer":"10001","edm":"588","session":"2007-08","title":"AVAILABILITY OF ALZHEIMER'S DRUGS","text":"That this House disapproves of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's ruling that Alzheimer's drug treatments should only be prescribed for those in the moderate stages of the disease; notes that this ruling means that the NHS can refuse drug treatments to those in the early and later stages of the disease in England and Wales; further notes that such treatment has proved clinically effective in stabilising the symptoms of Alzheimer's and allowing the individual to retain their independence; recognises the benefits of early treatment of the disease, particularly in reducing the demands on carers; and calls on the Government to ensure that all those suffering from Alzheimer's disease are able to receive drug treatment on the NHS.","date":"2007-12-17","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34747","proposer":"10571","edm":"596","session":"2007-08","title":"Information For Nhs Patients","text":"That this House welcomes the Secretary of State's commitment in Lord Darzi's NHS next stage review - Interim report October 2007, to a comprehensive strategy for reducing health inequalities and making health care more personal; and urges the Secretary of State to consider the role of quality independent information, such as that from Developing Patient Partnerships, in educating all sectors of society about effective use of NHS services.","date":"2007-12-17","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34759","proposer":"10323","edm":"608","session":"2007-08","title":"Marketing Of Breastmilk Substitutes","text":"That this House notes the Government's responsibility to implement the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and subsequent relevant Resolutions of the World Health Assembly (WHA) through national measures to protect breastfeeding and to ensure the safe use of breastmilk substitutes if these are necessary; regrets its failure to act on the advice of its own Scientific Committee on Nutrition, LACORS, the health professional bodies, and health advocates making up the Baby Feeding Law Group, through the proposed Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula Regulations, by failing to prohibit promotion of follow-on formula, health and nutrition claims and companies targeting parents or to require improved warnings and instructions to reduce risk of formula use; and urges the Government to bring the regulations into line with the International Code and WHA resolutions which call for such prohibition.","date":"2007-12-17","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34725","proposer":"11489","edm":"580","session":"2007-08","title":"Rhoserchan Drug And Alcohol-Free Rehabilitation Centre","text":"That this House pays tribute to the work of Rhoserchan, a drug and alcohol-free rehabilitation centre near Penrhyncoch in Ceredigion; notes that the centre provides residential rehabilitation for men and women who need help to stop using drugs and alcohol, and also provides residential rehabilitation for men and women who have some experience of drug-free living but have difficulty maintaining their recovery; further notes that Rhoserchan is a private charity, run on a not-for-profit basis, employing 15 full-time staff; is aware that there are only two other rehabilitation centres of this kind in Wales; and calls on Ceredigion local health board and other local health boards across Wales to make full use of the places available at this excellent facility.","date":"2007-12-13","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34728","proposer":"10176","edm":"583","session":"2007-08","title":"Coronary Vascular Disease","text":"That this House recognises that medical science has identified the key risk factors associated with coronary vascular disease - including increasing age, family history of heart disease, diabetes and elevated cholesterol - and is concerned that significant local variation exists in cholesterol measurement of at-risk patients in primary care with cover ranging from 90 per cent. of patients with heart disease in some to only 10 per cent. in others; and, in view of the UK's annual productivity losses owing to coronary disease running at \u00c2\u00a32.9 billion, calls for best current clinical practice to be available to all, irrespective of their home address, and for the Joint British Society Guidelines on the prevention of cardiovascular disease to be adopted as the clinically-driven NHS standard, and for GPs' contracts and rewards through the Quality and Outcomes Framework to be linked to the attainment of targets derived from these standards.","date":"2007-12-13","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34703","proposer":"11480","edm":"560","session":"2007-08","title":"Archer Inquiry Into Tainted Blood","text":"That this House applauds the work of the ongoing independent public inquiry headed by the Rt. hon. Lord Archer of Sandwell QC into how over 4,800 haemophiliacs were infected with hepatitis C through contaminated NHS blood products, with 1,200 also infected with HIV; notes the inquiry has taken evidence from patients, bereaved dependents, former health ministers and other eminent witnesses; calls on the relevant Government departments and affiliated bodies to offer their full co-operation through providing all relevant material and witnesses requested by the inquiry; and further calls on the Government to respond positively to the inquiry.","date":"2007-12-12","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34675","proposer":"10226","edm":"534","session":"2007-08","title":"Childhood Cancer Awareness Month","text":"That this House marks Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, celebrating survivors of childhood cancer; notes that children and young people stand a better chance than ever of surviving cancer, but can suffer physical and emotional effects of cancer or treatment throughout their lives; welcomes the announcement of the new National Cancer Survivorship Initiative; notes that children and young people should receive the educational support they need during treatment for cancer, and in transition back to school; notes that survivors of childhood cancer can suffer late effects which impact on their learning capacity and educational attainment and which demand timely and effective special educational needs support from schools; hopes that plans to raise the school leaving age to 18 years will be extended to include out of school education support for young people with cancer; and congratulates CLIC Sargent on its work to help survivors of childhood cancer to get their lives back.","date":"2007-12-11","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34689","proposer":"10333","edm":"548","session":"2007-08","title":"Sign Up To Save A Life Campaign","text":"That this House congratulates and endorses the Sunderland Echo's Sign Up To Save A Life Campaign; welcomes the commitment to organ donor registration shown by many citizens of Sunderland; and firmly believes such commitment will help save lives.","date":"2007-12-11","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34661","proposer":"11420","edm":"521","session":"2007-08","title":"Research Of David Southall","text":"That this House regrets the failure of the General Medical Council to investigate the research of David Southall such as project E5, during which babies with breathing problems were exposed to air with 3,000 ppm of carbon monoxide for 30 seconds.","date":"2007-12-10","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34666","proposer":"10171","edm":"526","session":"2007-08","title":"Eu Cross-Border Health Services Directive","text":"That this House notes the European Commission proposals for a directive on cross-border health services, which in their current form would force the National Health Service to pay private health providers abroad for non-emergency treatment of United Kingdom citizens who are wealthy enough to pay the fees up front, to further develop an internal market by setting a tariff for all treatments and create a bureaucracy to advertise and facilitate the right of patients to seek private treatment abroad; further notes that the proposed directive's legal basis is under the internal market, and that it is explicitly based on encouraging competition between health providers and over-rides the consideration of cost versus medical need; further notes the support of Conservative and Liberal Democrat Members of the European Parliament for such a directive; believes that this directive would undermine the fundamental principles of the NHS, impose unnecessary burdens of cost and bureaucracy, over-rule clinical priorities and act to worsen health inequalities; supports the Unison campaign against the proposals; and urges the Government to veto any such directive.","date":"2007-12-10","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34640","proposer":"10351","edm":"507","session":"2007-08","title":"Hiv, Hepatitis B And Hepatitis C In Prisons","text":"That this House notes that a survey by the Department of Health of blood borne virus in prisoners in 1997 showed much higher rates of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C amongst prisoners than is present in the general population; believes that prisons present a good opportunity to reach many of those with blood borne viruses with testing, diagnosis, treatment and education; is deeply concerned that no repeat survey has been conducted in the last 10 years; and joins the National AIDS Trust, British Liver Trust, the Hepatitis B Foundation and the Hepatitis C Trust in calling for the Government to conduct a new anonymous sero-survey of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C prevalence in prisons to obtain the necessary evidence to respond effectively to this growing health problem.","date":"2007-12-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34625","proposer":"10442","edm":"492","session":"2007-08","title":"Cervical Cancer Vaccine","text":"That this House welcomes the recommendation by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) that a vaccine to prevent infection by the high risk types of human papilloma virus (HPV) which are the principal cause of cervical cancer should be offered to all girls between 12 and 18 years of age; further welcomes the Government's acceptance of these recommendations and the announcement that a national programme will begin in 2008, and that a comprehensive education and awareness campaign will accompany the vaccination programme; congratulates Jo's Trust for its work on this issue and its continued support for women and their families affected by cervical cancer and pre-cancer and notes that all women should still attend for regular cervical screening when invited to do so; and further notes that women aged 18 to 26 years of age would also benefit from HPV vaccination and urges the JCVI and the Department of Health to consider how to make the protection offered by immunisation available to these women.","date":"2007-12-05","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34606","proposer":"11588","edm":"473","session":"2007-08","title":"CARERS' RIGHTS DAY 2007","text":"That this House acknowledges the contribution of the six million carers in the United Kingdom who provide unpaid help and support to a frail, ill or disabled relative, friend or partner; welcomes Carers' Rights Day, which is being held on 7th December 2007, and its focus on ensuring that carers are aware of, and apply for, the benefits and other support to which they are entitled; believes that it is essential that carers are identified and given information about their rights to benefits and an assessment of their needs; recognises that information is key to giving carers choices and control over their lives and the opportunity to manage their caring responsibilities while maintaining paid employment; welcomes initiatives to identify hidden carers and congratulates the 1,185 local groups holding events around the country, the largest number ever; and believes that all local authorities, health bodies, voluntary sector organisations, employers and hon. Members have a role to play in identifying and supporting carers.","date":"2007-12-04","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34584","proposer":"11427","edm":"451","session":"2007-08","title":"Services For Patients With Muscular Dystrophy","text":"That this House welcomes the publication of a new report by leading neuromuscular clinicians, Building on the Foundations; is concerned that it reveals significant geographical inequalities across England in access to health services for patients with neuromuscular conditions; regrets that specialist neuromuscular centres exist in only four regions and that survival for patients with neuromuscular conditions is severely affected; notes that care from a multidisciplinary team improves patient outcomes; is disappointed that many patients in England do not receive such multidisciplinary specialist care; calls on the Department of Health to recognise neuromuscular services as a specialist service; and urges the Department of Health to work with commissioners and health professionals to improve current service provision across England to ensure improved standards of care for all patients with neuromuscular conditions.","date":"2007-12-03","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34585","proposer":"11427","edm":"452","session":"2007-08","title":"Commission For Social Care Inspection","text":"That this House expresses concern about the effects of deregulation of care inspection by the current Commission for Social Care Inspection; notes that the Health and Social Care Bill will create a new integrated regulator, the Care Quality Commission; further notes that the effects of deregulation include less frequent inspections, reliance on paper exercises and self-evaluation by care providers, a hands-off approach to complaints, and the loss of 360 inspection and support jobs; believes that these changes hinder inspectors' capacity to talk to service users and detect problems at an early stage and leave vulnerable care home residents at risk and with no system of redress; calls for an immediate moratorium on the job cuts proposed; and urges the Government to review the current care inspection system to determine whether reducing the burden of regulation is appropriate to the needs of vulnerable people in health and social care.","date":"2007-12-03","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34587","proposer":"10226","edm":"454","session":"2007-08","title":"Cancer Reform Strategy","text":"That this House welcomes the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy outlining the Government's plans for cancer services in England over the next five years; notes that the All Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer has campaigned extensively to secure a second cancer plan; urges the NHS to implement rapidly the plans outlined in the Strategy to improve the lives of people affected by cancer; and hopes that the Cancer Reform Strategy will deliver cancer services that are amongst the best in Europe by 2012.","date":"2007-12-03","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34574","proposer":"10245","edm":"445","session":"2007-08","title":"Marketing Of Food To Children","text":"That this House welcomes the Foresight Report Tackling Obesities: Future Choices; notes with considerable concern its forecast that, by 2050, 70 per cent. of girls and 55 per cent. of boys will be overweight or obese; also welcomes the study by the World Cancer Research Fund that demonstrates a link between poor diet and an increased risk of cancer; notes that an unhealthy diet is also linked to cardiovascular health problems, diabetes and mental health problems; welcomes the forthcoming introduction of the Food Products (Marketing to Children) Bill that seeks to introduce a 9 p.m. watershed for television advertising of unhealthy food and stop the promotion of unhealthy food to children across all non-broadcast media; and finally notes that this Bill is supported by a range of expert groups in the fields of health, consumer rights and children's welfare, as well as the majority of parents.","date":"2007-11-29","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34549","proposer":"10295","edm":"427","session":"2007-08","title":"Hospice Funding","text":"That this House pays tribute to the work of hospices throughout the United Kingdom; recognises the excellent work carried out by staff and volunteers to provide the highest quality of care and the dedication and time people give to raising the necessary funds in order that hospices can provide this first class service; welcomes the additional money from the Government for hospices to improve palliative care services as part of the NHS Plan; and calls on the Government to ensure that this funding is directed where it is needed and to increase the amount of funding to hospices in order to provide them with a long-term viable future.","date":"2007-11-28","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34553","proposer":"10716","edm":"432","session":"2007-08","title":"Tune Out Tinnitus Campaign","text":"That this House notes with concern that seven million people in the UK have experienced tinnitus for more than one day and that 800,000 people are so badly affected that it severely disrupts their lives at home and at work; notes that the Royal Institute for Deaf People's Tune Out Tinnitus campaign is helping to raise awareness of this condition and is providing help and support to those affected through a dedicated website and helpline; calls on pharmaceutical companies to fund research into finding a cure for this debilitating condition that affects so many people; calls on the Government to fully implement the new Noise at Work legislation to protect the hearing of employees; and further calls on the Government to ensure that the health service provides proper and consistent support to people when they ask for help for their tinnitus.","date":"2007-11-28","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34555","proposer":"10027","edm":"434","session":"2007-08","title":"Eye Care For Older People","text":"That this House recognises that with an ageing population sight loss will become a major public health issue; acknowledges that sight is the sense that people fear losing the most yet many people neglect their eye health; notes that four million older people are not accessing eye tests when everyone over 60 is entitled to a free NHS sight test; welcomes the recent consultation launch of the VISION 2020 UK Vision Strategy which sets out a framework for action to improve the nation's eye health, prevent sight loss and ensure support for those with sight loss; and notes that good eye health and vision is essential to help older people live in their own homes for longer, maintain their independence and reduce the incidence of accidents such as falls.","date":"2007-11-28","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34558","proposer":"11489","edm":"437","session":"2007-08","title":"Lymphoedema","text":"That this House notes that at least 100,000 people in the UK suffer from lymphoedema, a chronic swelling which can affect any part of the body; is aware that the condition can be a distressing side effect of cancer and its treatments, but also occurs far more commonly in people who have not suffered from cancer; further notes that, with access to a lymphoedema clinic and the support of a lymphoedema practitioner, patients can do much to manage and control their condition; notes with great concern that there is a postcode lottery in the treatment of lymphoedema; is disappointed that in Ceredigion and in many other areas, patients do not have access to an NHS-funded lymphoedema clinic; is concerned that often treatment is only available for patients who have lymphoedema following treatment for cancer; recognises the excellent work of the Lymphoedema Support Network, a charitable organisation that battles to raise the profile of this condition with insufficient access to public funds; and calls on the Government, in co-operation with the Scottish Executive and the Welsh Assembly Government, to do more to recognise this condition, and on local health boards and primary care trusts to give full recognition to lymphoedema in all its forms, and make sure treatment is available for all patients at a local level.","date":"2007-11-28","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34559","proposer":"11489","edm":"438","session":"2007-08","title":"Carers For The Elderly In Private Nursing Homes","text":"That this House notes with concern that carers and nursing auxiliaries in nursing homes outside NHS trusts and local government employment are paid considerably less than NHS and local government employees, often little more than the national minimum wage; regrets that Government guidelines to local authorities on charging regulations mean that carers looking after older people, often with severe dementia, are dependent on market forces to establish their worth; and calls upon the Government to work with the Welsh Assembly Government and the Scottish Executive to ensure that new guidance is issued to local authorities which recognises the value of carers working outside the NHS and local government and ensures that they receive realistic wages and have improved terms and conditions.","date":"2007-11-28","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34517","proposer":"10715","edm":"395","session":"2007-08","title":"Cardiac Arrests In Schools","text":"That this House congratulates SADS UK on organising, training and donating 17 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to schools in the UK; notes that a recent study by the American Heart Association shows that, on average, for every 111 schools, there is at least one school-based cardiac arrest each year; and therefore calls on the Government to bring forward a strategy for including AEDs in all schools to help save lives.","date":"2007-11-27","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34519","proposer":"11455","edm":"397","session":"2007-08","title":"Care For Cystic Fibrosis Patients","text":"That this House welcomes the fact that average life expectancy for cystic fibrosis patients has increased to over 30 years and that a child born today with cystic fibrosis can expect to live into their late forties; expresses concern that, despite medical advances, evidence suggests that unacceptable variations in the standard of care, support and treatment still exist; believes that all patients should be entitled to the best care, support and treatment; welcomes the recommendations of the Back the Kid panel of expert clinicians on the future of cystic fibrosis care; and calls on the Government to conduct an audit of cystic fibrosis services in order to plan for high-quality services for all cystic fibrosis patients in the future.","date":"2007-11-27","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34527","proposer":"11420","edm":"405","session":"2007-08","title":"MUNCHAUSEN'S SYNDROME BY PROXY IN NORTH EAST ENGLAND","text":"That this House notes that Fran Lyon and Marianne Key are emigrating to achieve security for a family life following false allegations of Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy by medical professionals in the North East; further notes many other cases of false allegations and misconduct by the same professionals; regrets reports of incidents of explicit triumphalism by social workers who have prevented parents seeing their children at Christmas; and calls for the law to be changed so that providing evidence of misbehaviour by professionals to regulatory bodies is never contempt of court.","date":"2007-11-27","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34531","proposer":"11115","edm":"409","session":"2007-08","title":"World Aids Day 2007 Campaign","text":"That this House notes that on World AIDS Day, 1st December 2007, some 33 million people remain directly affected by HIV\/AIDS; calls for the UK Government and the international community to continue efforts to achieve the goal of universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010; believes these efforts should be guided as far as possible by detailed annual targets at country level so as to hold governments in both rich and poor countries to account for delivering on their promises; reaffirms the central importance of prevention to halting the spread of the virus and calls for prevention to be central to international efforts to tackle HIV\/AIDS; believes that efforts to tackle HIV\/AIDS should as far as possible act to strengthen basic healthcare systems so as to aid the fight against other killer diseases such as malaria, and common co-infections such as tuberculosis; celebrates the role of many private businesses operating in poor countries in helping to prevent and treat HIV\/AIDS; and calls for governments, businesses and voluntary organisations to work together in tackling the epidemic.","date":"2007-11-27","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34535","proposer":"10550","edm":"413","session":"2007-08","title":"Lifeblood Thrombosis Charity","text":"That this House congratulates Lifeblood, the thrombosis charity, on the tireless campaigning it has undertaken over the past five years in raising the profile of thrombosis amongst politicians and decision-makers whilst providing vital information and support to patients and their families on all areas of thrombosis and its related conditions; recognises that over 25,000 people die each year from venous thromboembolism (VTE) or blood clots, contracted in hospital, which is many times the number of deaths per year from hospital-acquired infections; notes that many of the deaths from VTE are preventable with safe and cost-effective methods of prevention available; is concerned that hospitals are not following the Chief Medical Officer's best practice recommendations published in April; and calls on the Government to ensure that all patients, both medical and surgical, who are admitted to hospital undergo a mandatory documented risk assessment for venous thrombosis and that this is audited to ensure implementation of this life-saving measure.","date":"2007-11-27","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34481","proposer":"10571","edm":"361","session":"2007-08","title":"Chlamydia Screening For Men","text":"That this House congratulates the Men's Health Forum for its campaign to raise levels of chlamydia screening amongst men; welcomes the National Chlamydia Screening Programme's publication of the Men Too strategy to support equitable access to chlamydia screening for men within the programme; notes that in 2006-07 only 21 per cent. of those screened under the programme were men; believes that it is vital to screen more men if chlamydia is to be brought under control and both men and women's reproductive health improved; further believes such screening will communicate that sexual health is a responsibility shared by men and women; and calls on the National Chlamydia Screening Programme to continue to work with the Men's Health Forum and other stakeholders to implement its strategy and ensure that men's sexual health is treated with the seriousness it deserves.","date":"2007-11-22","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34482","proposer":"10571","edm":"362","session":"2007-08","title":"World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Copd) Day 2007","text":"That this House supports World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Day on 14th November 2007, which aims to raise awareness of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; regrets that COPD is the UK's fifth biggest killer, causing the deaths of more people than breast and prostate cancer combined in England and Wales; further regrets that an estimated 2.8 million people in this country have COPD, but don't know it; welcomes the British Lung Foundation report Invisible Lives which identifies the areas of the country where healthcare services face the biggest challenge from COPD, highlighting Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Liverpool, Hull and Sunderland as the top five COPD hotspots; welcomes the development of the National Service Framework for COPD; and supports calls from the British Lung Foundation for the NHS to carry out targeted health campaigns in these hotspot areas and to implement best practice guidelines for COPD services as soon as possible in order that people living with COPD can access the best quality treatment and care at the earliest opportuinty.","date":"2007-11-22","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34492","proposer":"10295","edm":"372","session":"2007-08","title":"Assaults On Nhs Staff","text":"That this House notes with alarm the number of NHS staff who are subject to physical assault by patients and relatives of patients; recognises the excellent service provided by NHS staff who are dedicated to providing patients with the highest possible level of care for the benefit of the public; deplores any attack or assault on NHS employees who deserve the greatest respect; and calls on the Government to take a zero tolerance stance in order to protect doctors, nurses and other NHS staff.","date":"2007-11-22","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34460","proposer":"10240","edm":"340","session":"2007-08","title":"Multiple Sclerosis National Therapy Centres","text":"That this House praises Multiple Sclerosis National Therapy Centres (MSNTCs) which offer invaluable assistance to thousands of MS sufferers and their families in England and Wales by providing a wide range of drug-free symptom management therapies, advice and support; notes that MSNTCs are non-profit-making charities which raise about \u00c2\u00a36 million annually, which is used entirely to meet their cost; is concerned at the Healthcare Commission's decision to impose charges for inspection of MSNTCs; further notes that these fees will have a very serious impact, making MSNTCs the only non-profit-making bodies charged these fees; further notes that Welsh MSNTCs are exempt from charges; and calls on the Government to review the Healthcare Commission's decision on inspection charges.","date":"2007-11-21","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34461","proposer":"10240","edm":"341","session":"2007-08","title":"Multiple Sclerosis Nurses","text":"That this House believes that multiple sclerosis (MS) nurses provide a vital range of specialist services that are not available elsewhere; notes that the MS Society fears that a quarter of specialist posts may be at risk, despite the Government's long-standing commitment to fund their posts and recognises the financial savings they provide to the NHS; and calls upon the Government to do more to renew its original commitment to the role MS nurses play for the 85,000 people living with multiple sclerosis.","date":"2007-11-21","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34462","proposer":"10240","edm":"342","session":"2007-08","title":"Childhood Multiple Sclerosis","text":"That this House believes that the current understanding of childhood multiple sclerosis (MS) among health professionals is too low and that some are unaware that the condition can occur in children at all; notes that disease modifying therapies are not automatically available to children with MS through the NHS and that there are few specialist services; further notes that childhood MS can have a huge impact on the educational, social and economic outcomes for children living with the condition; and commends the MS Society for its work to improve the care and support available to children with MS and their families.","date":"2007-11-21","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34468","proposer":"10043","edm":"348","session":"2007-08","title":"Independent Living And The Our Lives, Our Choices Campaign","text":"That this House welcomes the Our Lives, Our Choices, coalition campaign for a social care system based on entitlements to independent living for disabled people, older people and their families; notes with concern rising eligibility thresholds for accessing social care which are causing increasing levels of hardship, ill-health and exclusion; further notes research by the Office for Disability Issues highlighting the waste and inefficiency in the care system and the long-term economic benefits of independent living-type support; believes the reforms contained in the Disabled Persons (Independent Living) Bill are a means of delivering real choice and control for people needing support, safeguarding the future well-being of children and families, promoting dignity for older people, and better supporting gender equality; and calls on the Government to take urgent action to stem the crisis and commit to bringing forward independent living legislation within this Parliament.","date":"2007-11-21","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34437","proposer":"11817","edm":"319","session":"2007-08","title":"Shrewsbury Ambulance Control Centre","text":"That this House notes the hon. Member for Shrewsbury's Public Petition with over 16,000 signatures of Shropshire residents opposed to the closure of Shrewsbury Ambulance Control Centre; believes that the Government is using the chief executive of the Trust, Mr Anthony Marsh and his colleagues, as a cat's paw to impose cuts to vital local services in Shropshire; further believes that the closure will put Shrewsbury residents' lives at risk; and considers that the Government will have dramatically failed Shropshire residents if it allows this closure to go ahead.","date":"2007-11-20","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34404","proposer":"10208","edm":"293","session":"2007-08","title":"Midwives And Maternity Services","text":"That this House notes with concern the fall in the proportion of the NHS workforce made up of midwives and the fall in the number of places for student midwives; further notes that in response to NHS deficits, one in three hospitals have cut funds for maternity care yet the number of live births in England rose 12.5 per cent. between 2001 and 2006; and calls on the Government to provide sufficient funds so that women are supported by the same midwife throughout their pregnancy and have access to their choice of antenatal and postnatal care.","date":"2007-11-19","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34406","proposer":"10040","edm":"295","session":"2007-08","title":"Children With Communication Problems And The Communication Trust","text":"That this House welcomes the creation of the Communication Trust, supported by Afasic, the Council for Disabled Children, I CAN and the BT Better World Campaign; notes that one in 10 children in the UK has communication problems that require specialist help, representing approximately three children in every classroom, with many more having inadequate speech and language skills; recognises that all children will benefit from a skilled workforce who can support speech and language, as communication skills are linked to attainment; further notes that many teachers and other members of the children's workforce feel ill equipped to support children's speech and language development; congratulates the Trust on its work in improving provision for children who struggle with communication by devising, promoting and delivering training resources, programmes and services to augment and support the work of local speech and language therapy services that will help the children's workforce to develop appropriate skills; and urges the Government and its delivery partners, including the Training and Development Agency, the Children's Workforce Development Council and the Children's Workforce Network, to give all possible support to the Communication Trust to help enable the children's workforce to ensure that the current generation of children is able to communicate effectively.","date":"2007-11-19","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34407","proposer":"10656","edm":"296","session":"2007-08","title":"Provision Of Essential Equipment To Disabled And Terminally Ill Children","text":"That this House calls for the improved provision of essential equipment to disabled and terminally ill children; notes with concern the findings of the report It's Not Too Much to Ask by national children's charity BDF Newlife that the current system is failing thousands of disabled and terminally ill children and their familes; and calls upon the Government to ensure that these children are properly provided for in terms of their individually assessed needs and that criteria for equipment are standardised to put an end to the current postcode lottery provision.","date":"2007-11-19","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34398","proposer":"10177","edm":"287","session":"2007-08","title":"Nhs Provision Of Specialist Urology Products And Services","text":"That this House notes that 350,000 people use prescription continence appliances regularly to help them manage their conditions; acknowledges that innovative and technologically advanced prescription products help users to maintain their independence and quality of life and to continue working, thus contributing to society and reducing burdens on NHS and social services; expresses concern at current Health Department proposals significantly to reduce the prices the NHS pays for stoma and urology appliances; further notes the concerns of patient groups that these price cuts will lead to large numbers of products being withdrawn from the market causing disruption to users, reduction of patient choice and stifling of product innovation; further notes that such disruption will increase the burden on overworked specialist nurses who will be required to reassess patients and prescribe alternative products; notes with concern that this outcome would impact on patients and their carers currently living at home with multiple sclerosis, spinal injury, bladder cancer, spina bifida, stroke, bowel cancer and many other serious conditions; welcomes the launch of the Urology Trade Association (UTA) representing 95 per cent. of the urology appliance manufacturing industry; and calls on the Department of Health to reconsider its proposals and work with the UTA, patient organisations and all other stakeholders to ensure that any changes to the current payment system do not lead to withdrawal of specialist NHS prescription products or otherwise adversely impact upon patients' quality of life.","date":"2007-11-15","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34401","proposer":"11093","edm":"290","session":"2007-08","title":"Ankylosing Spondylitis","text":"That this House welcomes the decision of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to approve two anti-TNF treatments for patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS); believes that such treatments will add quality to the lives of thousands of AS patients and will allow many to take control of their treatment at home; and calls upon the Government to ensure that NICE guidance is implemented as quickly as possible so that these new treatments can be added to NHS services and treatments to improve the welfare of AS patients.","date":"2007-11-15","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34381","proposer":"11592","edm":"274","session":"2007-08","title":"Insurance For Cancer Sufferers","text":"That this House notes that the number of people diagnosed with breast cancer has increased but that fewer people are dying of the disease; further notes the estimate from Breast Cancer Care that 172,000 women have been diagnosed with breast cancer in the last decade and have survived; believes that the travel insurance industry should become more sensitive in dealing with those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, including those in remission, and who sometimes face unreasonably high charges for travel insurance, sometimes making it too expensive to enjoy a holiday; supports the efforts of cancer victim Fiona Macrae, who has teamed up with an insurance company and, after consultation with breast cancer charities, launched Insure Pink to halve premiums for sufferers who want to travel; commends such initiatives if they allow and encourage insurance brokers, through better informed questioning, to reflect the true risks of holiday travel, not the perceived risk of travelling with a severe condition; and encourages wider application of these principles in relation to other cancers.","date":"2007-11-14","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34386","proposer":"10043","edm":"279","session":"2007-08","title":"SCOPE'S NO VOICE, NO CHOICE CAMPAIGN","text":"That this House notes the significant difficulty many disabled people with communication impairments face in getting the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) equipment they need to communicate; further notes that as many as 600,000 people in the UK could benefit from access to AAC equipment; further notes that without the means to communicate people cannot express themselves freely, discuss ideas or make choices, which severely limits their life chances; further notes that freedom of expression is a fundamental right enshrined in the Human Rights Act 1998; regrets that access to AAC equipment remains a lottery for most people based on age, postcode and education status; further regrets that 23 per cent. of respondents to Scope's recent No Voice, No Choice survey had not had an assessment of their communication needs before they were 16 years old; further regrets that over one quarter of respondents to the same survey had to pay for equipment themselves or ask a charity because they could not get their equipment funded by a statutory agency; and calls on the Government to recognise communication as a fundamental right and ensure that people with communication impairments of all ages get the AAC equipment and support they need so they can lead more independent lives, access work, leisure and education opportunities and fulfil their potential as full citizens.","date":"2007-11-14","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34389","proposer":"10586","edm":"191A1","session":"2007-08","title":"Palliative Care","text":"at end add `especially for provision within patients' homes and local hospices'.","date":"2007-11-14","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34322","proposer":"10224","edm":"220","session":"2007-08","title":"Access To Healthcare","text":"That this House notes the commitment by the Home Office and the Department of Health to a joint review of overseas visitor access to the National Health Service, now due for publication in December 2007; recalls the findings of the Joint Committee on Human Rights' Tenth Report of Session 2006-07 that the current arrangements for overseas visitor access deny healthcare to vulnerable individuals, including asylum seekers and their children, resulting in various breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights; applauds the Trade Union Congress's NHS Together campaign to defend the achievements of the free NHS; and supports the charity coalition campaign co-ordinated by the charity Medact against any measures that would compel general practitioners, and other primary care staff, to be forced to charge refused asylum seekers or other vulnerable foreign nationals for NHS care.","date":"2007-11-13","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34327","proposer":"10203","edm":"225","session":"2007-08","title":"Ritalin","text":"That this House notes that a 16 year study of the outcome of the use of Ritalin on children concluded that over a three-year period it produced no demonstrable improvement in children's behaviour, but that this amphetamine-type drug stunted growth; notes that the prescription of Ritalin has increased threefold since 1999 at a current cost to the NHS of \u00c2\u00a328 million; and calls for the transfer of this sum to therapies that are beneficial.","date":"2007-11-13","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34333","proposer":"10557","edm":"231","session":"2007-08","title":"Diabetes In Schools And The Living With Diabetes In Schools Campaign","text":"That this House welcomes World Diabetes Day and the Living with Diabetes in Schools campaign run by Diabetes UK, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, INPUT and UK Children with the Diabetes Advocacy Group, which aims to improve care and support for children with diabetes at school; also welcomes the Medical Conditions at School Policy Resource Pack from Diabetes UK, produced in conjunction with the Anaphylaxis Campaign, Asthma UK, Epilepsy Action, and Long Term Conditions Alliance and designed to help schools develop an effective overall policy for children and young people with medical conditions; recognises that many schools are not properly supporting children in managing their diabetes and are consequently preventing them from taking part in various physical activities and extra-curricular programmes; further recognises that 70 per cent. of children with Type 1 diabetes who are unable to administer their own insulin rely on a parent visiting the school to do so due to a lack of coherent policies for managing diabetes in school; and calls upon the Government to support children living with diabetes and issue guidance to local education authorities to encourage and support schools to develop and implement policies that result in best practice in the management of diabetes and enable full participation of children with diabetes in school life.","date":"2007-11-13","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34285","proposer":"10224","edm":"183","session":"2007-08","title":"Universal Access To HIV Services","text":"That this House welcomes the global commitment to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services by 2010; further welcomes the Prime Minister's speech to the UN General Assembly calling on all nations to keep their promises on tackling poverty and disease; notes the current formulation of a new three-year Government strategy to tackle HIV and AIDS in the developing world; believes that the UK Government should use this strategy to outline how it will keep its part of the promise to achieve universal access by 2010; including effectively providing its fair share of funding needed to keep the universal access commitment, proportionate to the UK's wealth, while also outlining concrete plans to promote affordable generic medicines and strengthen developing country health systems.","date":"2007-11-12","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34293","proposer":"10001","edm":"191","session":"2007-08","title":"Palliative Care","text":"That this House expresses concern at the level of provision of palliative care in the UK; notes that although surveys suggest most people would rather die at home, only 18 per cent. are able to do so; further notes that research into palliative care in the UK has found gaps in service provision and access to services; recognises the work of charities including the Red Cross, Age Concern and Marie Curie in providing help and comfort at the end of life; and calls on the Government to increase funding for palliative care.","date":"2007-11-12","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34304","proposer":"10295","edm":"202","session":"2007-08","title":"Access To Nhs Dentists","text":"That this House notes the difficulties residents in Chorley and other areas of the UK are having in gaining access to dentists taking NHS patients; recognises that money has been made available from central Government to increase the number of dentists accepting NHS patients but that primary care trusts are not taking the necessary steps to apply these funds to improved access to dentists; and calls on Ministers to put pressure on primary care trusts in order to ensure that the funds it has made available are spent on providing better access to dentists for NHS patients within their respective local areas.","date":"2007-11-12","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34306","proposer":"10295","edm":"204","session":"2007-08","title":"Nch Growing Strong Campaign","text":"That this House supports the Growing Strong campaign by NCH, the children's charity, to highlight the huge impact emotional wellbeing has on the life outcomes of children and young people; recognises the increasing importance of the link between emotional wellbeing and social mobility; believes that urgent action needs to be taken to address the emotional health of children and young people, particularly the most vulnerable; calls on central and local government to ensure that the emotional development and needs of children and young people are given a greater priority in delivery of children's services; and further believes that all organisations such as the NHS and private and voluntary organisations working with children and young people should do more to promote emotional wellbeing.","date":"2007-11-12","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34257","proposer":"10586","edm":"161","session":"2007-08","title":"Chen Guang Cheng","text":"That this House notes the four years and three months' imprisonment of 34 year old Chen Guang Cheng, a blind Chinese human rights activist; further notes his crime consisted of acting on behalf of women undergoing forcible abortions and sterilisations; further notes that 130,000 women undergo forcible abortions per year as part of the coercive one-child policy; further notes that after Cheng's case failed in the Beijing courts he was subsequently imprisoned on trumped up charges of damaging public property and organising villagers to disrupt traffic; further notes that his attorneys were detained and prevented from appearing and that neither witnesses nor evidence were presented for the defence; further notes the detention in September by Chinese police of Yuan Weijing, the wife of Chen Guang Cheng, to prevent her from going to the Philippines to collect a human rights award on his behalf for his `irrepressible passion for justice in leading ordinary Chinese citizens to assert their legitimate rights under the law'; further notes with shame that the Chinese policy is supported with British taxpayers' money through government grants made to the United Nations Population Fund, the International Planned Parenthood Federation and Marie Stopes International, all of which finance Chinese family planning yet have failed in 20 years to change the policy of coercive abortion and sterilisation; and calls on the Government to cancel all grants to groups providing money to countries with coercive family planning policies as well as demanding that Mr Cheng be released from prison without delay.","date":"2007-11-08","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34258","proposer":"10548","edm":"162","session":"2007-08","title":"Role Of Fathers","text":"That this House notes with great concern that the Government has proposed in the draft Human Tissue and Embryos Bill removing the requirement that those providing IVF services must have regard for the need of any resulting child for a father in subsection 2(b) and also facilitating the deliberate bringing of children into the world for whom no man can legally be considered to be their father in Clause 51(1); expresses concern that, given the wealth of research demonstrating the very important and distinctive contribution fathers bring to parenting, these proposals are profoundly misinformed and clearly undermine the best interests of the child; recognises that this move is inconsistent with the recent statement made by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions that `we want to significantly reduce the numbers of children with no dad on their birth certificate', and prioritises the desires of adults over the rights of children in the area of assisted reproduction; and calls on the Government to ensure that the final Bill preserves the 1990 father's provision and does not propose denying any child from birth a legal father who is male.","date":"2007-11-08","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34272","proposer":"11588","edm":"176","session":"2007-08","title":"Wheelchair Services For Disabled Children","text":"That this House recognises the importance of enabling all disabled children to move around independently and to enjoy the freedom to live full and active lives with families and friends; notes that there are over 70,000 children who require vital mobility equipment which meets their clinical, social and developmental needs; is concerned that many children are forced to wait over a year or are simply unable to access appropriate mobility equipment and as a result risk developmental delay; further notes that, in the long term, independent mobility enables young people to develop the skills and confidence they need to play a full role in society and become tax-paying citizens; applauds the work of the national charity Whizz-Kidz as the leading provider of paediatric wheelchairs and mobility equipment outside the NHS; and supports its work in raising awareness of the needs of disabled children across the UK, promoting independent mobility to enable those children to experience the everyday things that many able-bodied children take for granted.","date":"2007-11-08","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34203","proposer":"10013","edm":"113","session":"2007-08","title":"Immigration Status Of Senior Care Workers","text":"That this House notes that many senior care workers based in the UK who came from outside the EEA are caught between new departmental criteria on pay scales and employers who will not meet them; notes that many of the individuals affected have been resident in the United Kingdom for as long as six years; and calls on the Government to grant an amnesty of three months from the date of expiry on in-country extension applications for senior care workers where employers will not or cannot meet the pay criteria, to enable them to find alternative work within the same sector.","date":"2007-11-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34215","proposer":"11420","edm":"125","session":"2007-08","title":"Breastfeeding And Babies In Care","text":"That this House believes that mothers should be encouraged to breastfeed as this is in the interests of the long-term health of babies; recognises that for newborn babies this means breastfeeding on demand; further believes that newborn babies in care should also be breastfed on demand where this does not result in any risk to the baby; and calls for the Government to introduce guidelines to ensure that facilities are provided to ensure that newborn babies can be breastfed on demand.","date":"2007-11-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34218","proposer":"11420","edm":"128","session":"2007-08","title":"Inquiry Into Research By Dr Southall","text":"That this House notes that in an email dated 24th October 2000, John Radford, Doncaster's then Director of Public Health, described the issue of research on babies by Dr David Southall at Doncaster Hospital in the late 1980s as `potentially a hot potato as to my recall the intervention resulted in increased deaths and didn't have proper consent'; expresses concern that the details of this research and its outcomes have been covered up by the health authorities; expresses particular concern that the research protocol specifically required that no action be taken to prevent cot death in the children selected until sufficient data had been collected; notes that the inquiry into Continuous Negative Extrathoracic Pressure (CNEP) ignored CNEP in Doncaster; and calls for a public inquiry into this and other research managed by Dr Southall to identify why the checks and balances in the system failed.","date":"2007-11-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34225","proposer":"11420","edm":"135","session":"2007-08","title":"Hospital-Acquired Infection","text":"That this House recognises the trauma caused to patients and families by hospital-acquired infections such as MRSA and C difficile; believes that there are examples the United Kingdom can learn from in other countries such as the Netherlands; recognises that this involves having sufficient beds to keep some empty and isolate infected patients from others; recognises that having medical staff travel in their work clothes also gives a risk of infection; requests that the tendency to blame patients for the spread of infection be resisted; and calls for an urgent review of whether reductions in bed numbers and planning for over 70 per cent. bed occupancy and other cost-saving measures are resulting in increased risk of hospital-acquired infection.","date":"2007-11-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34232","proposer":"11651","edm":"142","session":"2007-08","title":"National Campaign For Cardiac Rehabilitation","text":"That this House welcomes the National Campaign for Cardiac Rehabilitation launched by the British Heart Foundation, the British Association for Cardiac Rehabilitation and patient groups to push for quality rehabilitation to be made available to all heart patients who need it; notes that cardiac rehabilitation is an inexpensive treatment that saves lives and yet three out of five of heart patients who need it do not have access to it; and supports the five aims of the national campaign which are access to cardiac rehabilitation for all suitable heart patients, a choice of alternative methods, the tackling of the cardiac rehabilitation needs of under-represented groups and that each programme should meet minimum standards and be monitored through national audit.","date":"2007-11-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34240","proposer":"11923","edm":"150","session":"2007-08","title":"Acute Admissions Services At Westmorland General Hospital","text":"That this House supports the retention of the coronary care unit and other acute admissions services at Westmorland General Hospital; and calls upon the board of the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Trust to pay attention to the overwhelming opposition to closure from the local community and therefore reverse the plans, given that closure would put the lives of patients in South Lakeland in severe danger.","date":"2007-11-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34092","proposer":"10521","edm":"2","session":"2007-08","title":"Cystic Fibrosis And Prescription Charges","text":"That this House believes people with cystic fibrosis should not have to pay prescription charges.","date":"2007-11-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34129","proposer":"10527","edm":"39","session":"2007-08","title":"Access To Insulin Pump Therapy For People With Type 1 Diabetes","text":"That this House welcomes Diabetes UK's campaign to end the postcode lottery for insulin pump therapy; believes that making a small change through providing the technology can make a big difference to the lives of people with diabetes; notes the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommendation that insulin pump therapy should be available as a treatment option for people with type 1 diabetes in cases where multiple dose insulin therapy has failed, and the person is willing and able to use insulin pump therapy effectively; notes with concern that this guidance is not being adhered to locally in a uniform manner; is aware that currently only two per cent. of people with type 1 diabetes use pumps in the UK, compared to 10 to 20 per cent. in other European member states and around 15 to 20 per cent. in the United States; believes that the use of pumps can have cost benefits to the local NHS through a reduction in primary care contracts, reduction in hospital admissions and hospital outpatient contracts; and calls on the Government to oversee the implementation of NICE guidance by primary care organisations to end the postcode lottery.","date":"2007-11-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34131","proposer":"10527","edm":"41","session":"2007-08","title":"United Nations Resolution For Diabetes","text":"That this House supports the International Diabetes Federation's Unite for Diabetes campaign, which aims to highlight the alarming rise of diabetes worldwide; notes with concern new data showing that more than 230 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes and that the number of people living with diabetes is expected to grow to 350 million in less than 20 years if action is not taken; further notes that diabetes is one of the major causes of premature death worldwide, as every 10 seconds a person dies from diabetes-related causes and death rates are predicted to rise by 25 per cent. over the next decade; further notes that World Health Organisation research predicts that the condition could reduce life expectancy globally for the first time in 200 years and that almost six per cent. of the world's adult population now live with diabetes; and encourages Government support for a United Nations Resolution on diabetes, to secure the Resolution on World Diabetes Day on 14th November 2007.","date":"2007-11-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34132","proposer":"10527","edm":"42","session":"2007-08","title":"Access To Inhaled Insulin Products For Diabetics","text":"That this House disagrees with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's technology appraisal document which proposes the restriction of access to inhaled insulin products on the NHS to patients with `a proven injection phobia diagnosed by a psychiatrist or psychologist'; is concerned that diabetes sufferers often delay treatment for as long as four years due to a fear of injections, risking the complications of heart disease, blindness and kidney failure, a situation that will only be compounded by attaching the unfortunate stigma of mental illness to those with a phobia of needles; expresses concern at the additional workload that will be placed on already overstretched NHS psychiatric services; and believes that the judgment of expert clinicians should be trusted in managing each individual patient's condition.","date":"2007-11-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34133","proposer":"10527","edm":"43","session":"2007-08","title":"Information Prescriptions For People With Diabetes","text":"That this House notes with concern that 65 per cent. of the two million people in the UK with diabetes are not taking their medications as prescribed because one in three do not understand that those medications are for, or how to take them; welcomes the work of a coalition of Diabetes UK, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Society and Ask About Medicines to facilitate understanding of medicines used to treat diabetes; believes that every one with the condition has a right to expect a personalised information prescription expressed in an appropriate format as part of their care planning process; further believes that such a personalised prescription should help to ensure that access to clear and consistent information that is accurate, up-to-date and trustworthy will enable people with diabetes to understand their condition and treatment options regardless of their age, ethnicity, disability or postcode; further believes that people should be encouraged to seek information on medicines and other treatments by discussing their condition with and asking questions of a range of healthcare professionals and by accessing other forms of support and information tailored for each person in their particular situation; and therefore calls on the Government to ensure that the NHS at a local level provides diabetes care and support in line with these standards.","date":"2007-11-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34134","proposer":"10527","edm":"44","session":"2007-08","title":"Diabetes UK Measure Up Campaign","text":"That this House welcomes the Diabetes UK campaign Measure Up, which aims to raise awareness of diabetes; recognises that there are currently an estimated 750,000 people in the UK who have diabetes who are not aware of their condition; notes that the campaign aims to identify at least 25 per cent. of these people; further notes the seriousness of diabetes, which if left untreated can lead to blindness, kidney disease, heart attacks and other life-threatening complications; supports the key messages of the campaign that if you are a white or black male and your waist is 37 inches or more, a women and your waist is 31.5 inches or more, or a South Asian man and your waist is 35 inches or more, you could need a test for diabetes; observes that keeping people with the condition healthier will also reduce the long-term impact on limited NHS resources; expresses its concern over Department of Health figures which show that only 72 per cent. of the diabetic population has been diagnosed across the UK; further notes that some primary care trusts have only diagnosed around half of their diabetic population; and calls on the Government to encourage primary care trusts to spell out their plans for early identification of people with diabetes in their local area.","date":"2007-11-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34143","proposer":"10527","edm":"53","session":"2007-08","title":"Diabetes UK Your Vision Campaign And Access To Retinal Screening","text":"That this House welcomes Diabetes UK's campaign Your Vision; recognises that diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in the UK working age population; considers that all people with diabetes should have access to free annual retinal screening with a digital camera and that each primary care trust should have a systematic call and recall system to ensure that people with diabetes receive an annual letter inviting them for screening; notes with concern that Government targets of all people with diabetes being offered free digital retinal screening by the end of 2007 are not being met and as a result one in four (up to 470,000) people with diabetes in England are needlessly being put at risk of losing their sight; further notes that retinal screening is one of the most cost-effective interventions known in medicine, with 90 per cent. of cases of retinopathy being treatable with early intervention; and calls on the Government to ensure that primary care trusts put in place the appropriate facilities and allocate the necessary budget to their screening programme to prevent people with diabetes from needlessly losing their sight.","date":"2007-11-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34177","proposer":"10571","edm":"87","session":"2007-08","title":"Screening For Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm","text":"That this House welcomes the Circulation Foundation's campaign on ultrasound screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA); recognises that AAA, a widening and weakening of the main artery from the heart to the abdomen which causes massive internal bleeding when it bursts and is usually fatal, is the third most common cause of death for over-65s and that each year nearly 7,000 people, almost all of them men, die suddenly and without symptoms; notes the Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland's work on making information about screening available in a variety of formats so that 65 year old men can make an informed choice; and urges the Government to follow the lead of the USA and implement the independent National Screening Committee's recommendation for AAA screening for all men at 65 years, a procedure which has been found to be very accurate in identifying those at risk and referring them for preventative surgery.","date":"2007-11-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34189","proposer":"10170","edm":"99","session":"2007-08","title":"Involuntary Tranquilliser Addiction","text":"That this House congratulates the `Beat the Benzos' campaign in highlighting the over-prescription of tranquilliser drugs including Ativan, Temazepam, Valium and Z drugs; supports their objectives in bringing about the full implementation of prescription guidelines by general practitioners; and calls on the Government to provide greater support services for involuntary and voluntary addicts of these drugs and to conduct a review of disability guidelines to ensure recognition of tranquilliser addiction.","date":"2007-11-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Health services","id":"34198","proposer":"11406","edm":"108","session":"2007-08","title":"Use Of 0844 Telephone Numbers In Gp Surgeries","text":"That this House notes that more than 1,200 GP surgeries across the country have installed telephone systems using 0844 numbers; further notes that these systems are more expensive to use than a local call with patients being charged 5 pence per minute from a landline and up to 40 pence per minute from a mobile; further notes that for many people, calling their local GP surgery can be a stressful and worrying time and that high call charges will have a particular impact on the chronically ill, the old, the disabled and those on low incomes; notes that the practice of charging people extra to call their local GP is unsatisfactory; and calls upon the Secretary of State for Health to put an end to it with immediate effect.","date":"2007-11-06","status":"c"}]