Haemophiliacs

Ms. Clare Short

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many haemophiliacs there are in the United Kingdom.

The returns submitted to the National Haemophilia Centre Directors register at 31 December 1985 showed that there was a total of 7,808 haemophiliacs in the United Kingdom. Only some of those patients registered require treatment with blood products.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many haemophiliacs are AIDS antibody positive as a result of receiving contaminated factor 8 in each region of the United Kingdom.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras on 25 November 1986 at columns 199–200. These are the most recent figures available for haemophiliacs who have been found to be HIV antibody positive. A regional breakdown of these figures is not held centrally.

Patient journeys 1984–86 Non emergency service (000's patient journeys)
	North west division			North east division			South west division			South east division			Direct service total			Indirect service	Total LAS
Year and quarter	W	Non W	Total	W	Non W	Total	W	Non W	Total	W	Non W	Total	W	Non W	Total
1984
1st	85	44	129	90	65	155	76	44	120	76	61	137	327	214	541	54	595
2nd	82	41	123	84	60	144	73	45	118	68	58	126	307	204	511	52	563
3rd	80	41	121	83	58	141	72	46	118	68	57	125	303	202	505	52	557
4th	76	42	118	82	57	139	72	45	117	69	56	125	299	200	499	54	553
Total	323	168	491	339	240	579	293	180	473	281	232	513	1,236	820	2,056	212	2,268
1985
1st	73	43	116	82	57	139	70	46	116	70	54	124	295	200	495	58	553
2nd	73	39	112	83	56	139	70	45	115	70	56	126	296	196	492	62	554
3rd	73	40	113	79	57	136	67	46	113	70	55	125	289	198	487	69	556
4th	71	42	113	79	55	134	66	46	112	69	53	122	285	196	481	63	5.(4
Total	290	164	454	323	225	548	273	183	456	279	218	497	1,165	790	1,955	252	2,207
1986
1st	57	39	96	72	51	123	55	46	101	60	50	110	244	186	430	69	499
2nd	39	36	75	65	49	114	40	42	82	33	53	86	177	180	357	92	449
3rd	39	38	77	62	50	112	40	41	81	32	58	90	173	187	360	94	454
4th	41	39	80	61	54	115	39	44	83	33	54	87	174	191	365	91	436
Total	176	152	328	260	204	464	174	173	347	158	215	373	768	744	1,512	346	1,858

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the most recent date of receipt of contaminated factor 8 by a haemophiliac subsequently found to be AIDS antibody positive.

Information about individual haemophiliacs is not held centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what help, counselling and support is provided to haemophiliacs who are AIDS anti-body positive as a result of receiving contaminated factor 8.

Health authorities provide haemophilia care through a network of haemophilia centres. Six of these centres are designated haemophilia reference centres (HRC). The centres provide medical care and counselling support for haemophiliacs and their families.A range of social security benefits is also available to those haemophiliacs who, like others, may suffer illness, unemployment or loss of earnings as a result of infection with HIV.For 1987–88 an additional £44,000 has been allocated to each HRC specifically for AIDS counselling. A provision of £16,000 has also been made to the west midlands health authority for counselling at the Birmingham haemophilia centre.

Volume 111: debated on Thursday 5 March 1987