House of Commons
Friday 12 March 2004
The House met at half-past Nine o'clock
PRAYERS
The Second Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means took the Chair as Deputy Speaker, pursuant to the Standing Order.
[Sir Michael Lord in the Chair]
Orders of the Day
Cardiac Risk in the Young (Screening) Bill
Order for Second Reading read.
9.33 am
Ms Dari Taylor (Stockton, South) (Lab): I feel privileged to have the opportunity to bring my Bill to the Floor of the House for the consideration of Members and Ministers from the Department of Health. I realise that I am lucky to have secured the fifth position on the private Members' Bills list. Many Members have congratulated me, wished my Bill good passage and told me how lucky I am. Many have been in the House for 20 years and more yet have never surfaced in the selection process, despite their reputation and considerable knowledge of specific policy areas. It is indeed a privilege to have the opportunity to put on the record the fact of sudden death in the young, and the medical knowledge and experience that could—and I believe should—inform medical practice through screening.
The short title of my Bill is Cardiac Risk in the Young (Screening). Its substance refers to the tragedy of sudden death in the young from a variety of cardiac problems. If diagnosis of the condition had taken place—the condition is clearly visible through screening and its symptoms are known—its potential to be fatal would have been recognised by a cardiac specialist. A different lifestyle, drug support, a small surgical operation known as an ablation, or the fitting of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator device could have been suggested and might have resulted in a life being saved.
Before I outline the detail of the Bill, I should say why its substance—the knowledge and experience of cardiac specialists and their research teams that in some cases inform the medical response to sudden death—is important to me. The inspiration for the Bill was a tragedy. Two years ago, just after new year, the son of a very close friend of mine died. Levon Morland was 22 years old—young, athletic, a keen sportsperson, in a demanding job, and showing no sign of a health problem that could be fatal. In fact, Levon and his family knew that he had a heart condition: Wolfe-Parkinson-White syndrome. He had been screened and had visited a cardiac specialist. An operation to correct his condition was available, but it was nasty, so as the specialist suggested that his condition was no more than a nuisance, Levon was more than keen to just get on with his life. He no longer has a life to get on with.
Levon's parents, Jeff and Sandra Morland—a friend to many in the House—his twin brother and the rest of the family were and remain grief stricken. They never stop feeling guilty, saying again and again, "What if? What if we'd done . . .?" The critical fact for me and for the Bill is that it was not up to them to do anything. The potentially fatal condition should have been clearly and factually explained. A lifestyle package of drug support, radiofrequency ablation or a pacemaker—various treatments could have been prescribed to control the problem or reduce the risk. Levon's first-degree relatives should have been given a clear understanding of the nature of his condition. As it was genetic in his case, they too were at risk. He should have been reassured that all that could be done medically was being done. He should have been led to understand that even without warning symptoms, Wolfe-Parkinson-White syndrome could be fatal.
David Wright (Telford) (Lab): One of the tragedies is that the treatment for the condition can be carried out quickly. Does my hon. Friend agree, therefore, that it is very sad that the problem was not identified and dealt with speedily?
Ms Taylor: My hon. Friend's intervention is timely. From the symptoms and the diagnosis, it is clear that treatment should have been undertaken. My young friend should never have been told, "It's a bit of a nuisance. Get on with your life." My hon. Friend is right—the treatment is quickly put in place, and that should have been done.
Levon Morland should have been able to understand and to accept that, even with full medical support, his condition could be fatal—he should have been left under no illusion. Because I know the family, I know that no such advice was given. Levon was merely told, "Your condition is a bit of a nuisance. Get on with your life."
Mr. Eric Pickles (Brentwood and Ongar) (Con): As the hon. Member for Telford (David Wright) said, Wolfe-Parkinson-White syndrome is relatively easy to treat. However, in a case in my constituency the family of a toddler who was diagnosed with the condition were told that it was a relatively common condition, and that although it would be a bit of a nuisance everything would be okay. Everything was not okay. That demonstrates the importance of the hon. Lady's Bill in relation not only to screening, but to increasing understanding among the medical profession.
Ms Taylor: I thank the hon. Gentleman for that intervention. It is crucial to have an educative process. I do not want to find the established heart community disputing the clear evidence that too many hon. Members will present to the House today.
Mr. David Stewart (Inverness, East, Nairn and Lochaber) (Lab): Does my hon. Friend agree that although screening is a vital tool, it is not suitable for the whole population, but should be aimed at high-risk groups?
Ms Taylor: My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Repeated electrocardiogram screening can be an expensive procedure, and that has to be controlled. It is
equally important, of course, that if an inherited condition exists, families—first-degree relations—should have the opportunity to be screened. The Bill does not ask for a national screening programme, but many countries have those for young people at different stages of their lives and for families with potentially fatal conditions.Levon Morland received a diagnosis statement from a professional cardiac specialist. I want to ensure that such a casual and uninformed statement about a life-threatening—in Levon's case, life-taking—condition can never be made again. Levon's death has left a mark on our community in the north-east. We all want to support the Morland family because we know that the pain of his death will not go away. The best support that we could give—I press this on the Minister—is to ensure that full and effective medical treatment is provided. I hope that the Government will acknowledge that and deliver it.
If that untimely death was not bad enough, and it was, I was soon afterwards told of the death of another young man in my region—a 19-year-old from Redcar who died suddenly while out enjoying himself with friends after a day on the golf course. Ian Bowen, who lived with his parents Maralyn and Kenny, died from Wolfe-Parkinson-White syndrome that had been diagnosed but not treated. Ian suffered from an additional electrical connection between the atriums and ventricles of the heart. He had been diagnosed with the condition and had regularly consulted his cardiologist, but was repeatedly reassured that it was not serious, would not affect his life, and was nothing to worry about. He died suddenly just 10 months after visiting the doctor complaining of feeling his heart racing. One can imagine his family's complete shock and utter devastation.
My hon. and learned Friend the Member for Redcar (Vera Baird) is unable to be in the House today, but asked me to express her support for my Bill, to press the Government for a positive response, and to emphasise the belief that all people should receive the best medical service available and should never be left wondering, "Was there anything else that could have been done?" She sends her sympathy to the Bowen family, who live in her constituency.
My hon. Friend the Member for Monmouth (Mr. Edwards) is also unable to be here, but wrote to me about his constituents, Mr. and Mrs. Berzolla, whose case has persuaded him to support the Bill.
I have mentioned the concern, sympathy and support of two hon. Members. I had to stop other colleagues giving me additional comments to pass on because there were so many. I decided that that it would be sufficient to mention two and to assure the House that there are many more.
After that tragedy upon tragedy, I soon became aware of the number of deaths that have occurred. Such tragedies happen not only in Britain, but in other parts of the world, including Europe; we constantly see them reported in the press. Cardiac Risk in the Young has produced a very able and academically organised booklet that outlines the scale of the problem. We are talking about four deaths a week.
Dr. Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East) (Lab): How accurate are the
assessments of how many people die from the disease per week? Are we sure that it is so many, or is it guesswork?
Ms Taylor: The figure of four is no more than a best guess that comes from pathologists' reports. Unfortunately, many sudden deaths that do not involve accident or suicide end up being recorded as death from cardiac failure or from natural causes. I press my hon. Friend the Minister to accept that better analysis of cause of death is required to provide an accurate picture.
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