Martin attended Business questions in the House of Commons this morning to call for the implementation of a screening program to identify undiagnosed cardiac conditions. This follows a visit to to Martin's surgery by his constituents who sadly have lost their son aged only 31. They pointed out that between 12 and 20 people under the age of 35 die of these undiagnosed conditions each week.
You can read Martin's contribution, and the Minister's reply, below.
Martin Vickers
(Brigg and Immingham) (Con)
Last week at my surgery in Barton-upon-Humber, two constituents, the parents of a young man who died suddenly from a cardiac arrest, pointed out that between 12 and 20 young people under 35 die in similar undiagnosed circumstances each week. Screening would play a major part in dealing with such tragic situations. Can the Leader of the House find time for a debate in Government time when we can look at the whole screening programme for serious diseases?
Lucy Powell
That is a shocking statistic that his constituents shared with him about the effect of cardiac arrests on young people. He and they are absolutely right that screening and getting a preventive health programme into our communities is vital if we are to address some of those issues and make sure people do not die or suffer unnecessarily from those sorts of diseases. That is what this Government are committed to doing.
