AWARENESS OF COELIAC DISEASE

Early day motion 2127, tabled 10 May 2006 by Gordon Banks (Labour). Signed by 144 members.

That this House is concerned that the average general practitioner has little or no experience of coeliac disease, an extremely debilitating illness that affects one in 100 of the population, of which four out of five people are undiagnosed, and which can lead to serious complications such as osteoporosis and bowel cancer if left undiagnosed; regrets that the lack of experience of this condition prevents many people with coeliac disease from receiving early diagnosis; is dismayed that there is no Government support for the charity Coeliac UK that provides literature, advice, helpline and dietary information to address this need; and calls on the Government to promote measures to ensure that general practitioners receive more appropriate training and support to enable them better to recognise and more accurately to diagnose the disease.

Signatures by party: Labour 74, Conservative 36, Liberal Democrat 26, DUP 4, Independent 1, Plaid Cymru 1, Scottish National Party 1, UUP 1.