SETTING TARGETS FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF HEPATITIS C

Early day motion 1181, tabled 1 December 2005 by Bob Laxton (Labour). Signed by 55 members.

That this House notes with concern the recent Hepatitis C Scandal Report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Hepatology and The UK versus Europe: Losing the Fight Against Hepatitis C from the Hepatitis C Trust; further notes that of the half a million people infected in the UK, only one to two per cent. have been diagnosed and treated with NICE-approved drugs; recognises that France has effectively increased the rate of diagnosis and treatment by setting targets; and calls upon the Government to take urgent action to set targets of diagnosis for hepatitis C to avoid both major loss of life and the crushing burden on NHS expenditure conservatively estimated at £4.1 billion over the next 30 years as demand for liver transplants is projected to increase by 500 per cent. in the absence of urgent and substantial action.

Signatures by party: Labour 32, Liberal Democrat 10, Conservative 7, DUP 4, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1, UUP 1.