Clause 5 - X-rays and ultrasound scans: England and Wales
Drugs Bill
2:30 pm
Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Shadow Minister, Home Affairs; Chesham and Amersham, Conservative)
I am grateful that the Minister has done some extra research. I am sorry that we have had to drag it from her, kicking and screaming, over a lunch break. I hope that her estimates are right, because the other information that I dug up over lunch was from a reply to a written question of 7 May 2003, about the assessment that is made of current waiting times for X-ray tests and ultrasound scans. The reply was that data are not collected. However, it continued:
''The length of time that a patient may have to wait for any scan is dependent on their clinical condition. Emergency cases need to be seen immediately.''
We can all agree on that. The reply added:
''Other cases will be carried out as quickly as possible, dependent on the clinical priority of all patients waiting to be scanned.—[Official Report, House of Commons, 7 May 2003; Vol. 404, c. 764W.]
It follows, to go back to the debate that we had about timing, that there may be a very long wait in a public facility for a test.
Will the Minister write to all the members of the Committee and let us know the details of the results from the efforts made by the Manchester police? Also, further down the line, will she provide a firmer, technical explanation of exactly what X-ray or scan will be required? She mentioned a cost of £170 for a private, ultrasound scan for a pregnant lady. Of course, that could involve a full body scan, not just a lower abdominal scan, because where the body needs to be scanned and where the package may have lodged itself depend on how long has elapsed from the alleged swallowing of the class A drugs. I would like further and better details. It follows that only an abdominal scan will be needed, but that the whole alimentary canal will have to be X-rayed or scanned. That will take longer; there is more to it. It may cost more and the Minister may have underestimated the costs, even if she has not underestimated the numbers. It would be better if, rather than taking inspiration from another place, she could write to the Committee and explain the technical details. I will give way so that she can agree that she will—but she is not going to. We will all note that the technical details were not available on this clause, and I fall back on the inference that it was put together in rather a hurry. That seems increasingly to be the case with the Bill, but I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Question proposed, That the clause stand part of the Bill.