Health written question – answered at on 22 April 2008.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health
(1) if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance his Department has issued to NHS organisations on the use of carbon monoxide alarms;
(2) how many hospitals had audible carbon monoxide alarms fitted at the most recent date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.
The Department is committed to help prevent deaths and injuries caused by carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and the focus of the initiatives it has taken has been on raising awareness of the dangers of CO poisoning among the public and medical profession. It has not issued specific guidance to the national health service about the use of CO alarms.
In his winter update issued in November 2007, which is sent to all doctors registered with the General Medical Council in England, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) provides a range of advice on diagnosis of CO poisoning, including the use of neurological examination.
This builds on two previous publications, the advice of which is still current: "CMO Winter 2005 Update"; and the CMO and Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) joint letter issued in 2002. CMO's update includes recognition of the symptoms of CO poisoning, key questions to ask in diagnosis, appropriate tests and treatment. The CMO/CNO letter, distributed to community nurses, midwives, health visitors and general practitioners, provides detailed advice for recognising the symptoms of CO poisoning and specific advice about investigations and testing techniques. A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library.
In addition, the Department has recently called for research to investigate the incidence of CO poisoning, health outcomes and patient's experience following exposure, which will help inform the development of appropriate policy.
The Department also provides funding to leading national voluntary organisations through the Section 64 General Scheme of Grants, which helps in their work in raising awareness about the dangers of CO with both the public and health professionals and in supporting victims and providing information on how to prevent poisoning.
In collaboration with key stakeholders, the Department is currently looking at options for new awareness-raising initiatives as well as reviewing activities in which it is already engaged.
Information on the number of hospitals fitted with audible carbon monoxide alarms is not collected centrally.
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