Health Bill

The hon. Member for Wyre Forest (Dr. Taylor) spoke about MRSA and the massive cover-up that has gone on for years about the scale of MRSA. He makes a true and valid charge. I, along with others, had made it over many years and particularly drew the attention of the House to death certificates recording that a person had died of pneumonia or septicaemia, when in fact the underlying cause of death was a hospital-related infection. In fairness, the previous Member of Parliament for Welwyn Hatfield—a Minister who lost her seat at the general election—instructed hospitals that death certificates were to be filled in with clarity and precision. Unfortunately, that was not enforced. I called on the House and I call again for it to legislate to discipline or sack civil servants at any level who do not spell out in detail the cause of death on death certificates. I include hospital managers, members of trusts and officials right up to the Department of Health who cover up and conspire to keep the facts from Parliament and the public. I feel strongly about that. The hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley), who spoke from the Opposition Front Bench, and the hon. Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess) spoke about MRSA. Plaudits are due to the present Government, who have belatedly begun to address the matter. I wish that they had done so earlier. In the closing stages of the previous Government, I drew attention to the scale of the cover-up of MSRA. Lord Fitt, in another place, drew it to the attention of Baroness Cumberlege, a Minister of Health. It is on the record. In a special debate in the House, I drew the matter to the attention of the hon. Member for Orpington (Mr. Horam), a decent man. I do not blame him, but he warned me from the Dispatch Box not to make party politics of it. It rubs me up the wrong way when I hear people accuse the Government of something that was neglected by the previous Administration. Two wrongs do not make a right. To some extent, both Governments are to blame.