LYMPHOEDEMA

Early day motion 855, tabled 10 March 2003 by Liam Fox (Conservative). Signed by 139 members.

That this House notes that there are around 100,000 men, women and children in this country who suffer from lymphoedema and its frequent associate condition, cellulitis, and that it particularly affects women who have had breast cancer and suffered consequent damage to their lymphatic system; congratulates the Lymphoedema Support Network (LSN) and the British Lymphoedema Society in its commitment and tireless hard work in advising and helping people with lymphoedema, with the LSN receiving over 2,000 referrals for advice each year, yet which receives no statutory funding; is deeply concerned that the Government has not committed any resources to lymphoedema prevention campaigns, and has failed to issue any specific guidance to hospital trusts and PCTs for the provision of services to lymphoedema sufferers and that there are no specialist lymphological consultants employed in any hospital or university in this country; and urges the Government to take the provision for the prevention and treatment much more seriously than it currently does.

Signatures by party: Conservative 79, Labour 26, Liberal Democrat 22, Labour/Co-operative 3, UUP 3, DUP 2, Plaid Cymru 2, Independent Conservative 1, Scottish National Party 1.