Written question asked by Helen Jones (Labour) on Wednesday, 3 May 2000, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 11 May 2000. It was answered by Yvette Cooper (Labour) on Thursday, 11 May 2000 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that general practitioners are aware of the presenting symptoms of new variant CJD. - (Holding answer 10 May 2000).

Answer: Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that general practitioners are aware of the presenting symptoms of new variant CJD. [121138] Yvette Cooper: [holding answer 10 May 2000]: The initial symptoms of variant CJD can be similar to much more common illnesses, and it is therefore difficult to diagnose the disease in its early stages. General practitioners presented with neurological or psychiatric symptoms in a patient would, however, be expected to refer such patients as necessary in the normal way to appropriate specialists, including neurologists. The National CJD Surveillance Unit, funded directly by the Department, keeps in regular touch with neurologists about CJD issues and has circulated to them details of those symptoms which would suggest that a case should be referred to the Unit for further investigation. In addition, the Unit disseminates information about variant CJD through the medical literature.

Secondary information