Pat Upton
Question:11 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Health the obligations, if any, there are to report to his Department the isolation of E.coli 0157 from hospital patients or from the food chain. [11825/95]
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Foodborne Diseases Detection.
Pat Upton
Question:23 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Health his Department's position in relation to the existence or the establishment of surveillance measures in relation to the detection of E.coli 0157 in the food chain. [11826/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 23 together.
The Food Safety Advisory Committee has made a recommendation for a national surveillance programme for all foodborne diseases, report No. 17, April 1994. Such diseases include, E.coli 0157 infections. That recommendation is being examined at present in my Department and I will also be seeking the views of the new Food Safety Advisory Board on the matter. Meanwhile steps have been taken, especially among health board staff engaged in food controls, to raise awareness of the problem and to highlight preventative steps, with particular emphasis on the cooking of minced meat and hamburgers. I believe those steps are adequate for the present. I will nevertheless be keeping the position under close view.
In reply to another recent question from the Deputy on this matter, I informed him of the current position on screening and reporting procedures for hospital patients for the presence of E.coli 0157.
Is the Minister of State aware that, despite the steps which have been taken by the health boards, there was an outbreak of food poisoning at UCHG recently? What is most worrying is that it occurred in the gynaecological department.
Any outbreak would be the source of grave concern. This question relates specifically to the E.coli 0157 infection. No major difficulties have been encountered. This infection was first discovered in the late 1970s and information is now coming on stream from the World Health Organisation. Surveys have been conducted in both America and Europe. We would be concerned if there were a serious outbreak of a foodborne disease.
Will the Minister agree there should be an obligation on hospitals to comply with the statutory food hygiene regulations — some health boards state they are not obliged to comply with them — and will he take steps to ensure they so comply?
That matter is the subject of another question which will be answered later.
We will not reach it.
Whereas there is no statutory obligation on health boards in this matter there is a very good reason for that; health boards cannot be judges of their own cases. Since 1950 health authorities have been informed, and have been circularised to the effect that food regulation requirements are the minimum expected of them. Even though health boards are exempt from the regulations the onus is on them to report on the matter.
The question to which the Minister has responded is in Deputy Molloy's name——
We are drifting away from the substance of the question. I wish to accommodate other Deputies.
Recently there was an outbreak of salmonella in Galway hospital——
We are getting away from the substance of the question.
This relates to the same matter. The relevant health board official made a statement to the effect that hospitals are not obliged to comply with the statutory food hygiene regulations. The Minister said health boards are exempt because they should not be judge in their own cause. Will he agree that is completely unacceptable? Health boards, and particularly hospitals, should be monitored and supervised, perhaps by a section of the Department of Health, to ensure they comply with the statutory food hygiene regulations. Surely the status quo is not acceptable given that there was an outbreak, of salmonella in Galway and there are no supervisory regulations to ensure such an outbreak does not occur in another hospital.
Health boards are enforcement agencies in terms of these regulations. In addition to the matter of being judges in their own cause there is also the matter of justice being seen to be done. I do not have knowledge of the information to which the Deputy referred and I would be glad if she would pass it to me. The Department of Health made it clear that the regulations are the minimum required of health boards. The present regulations are being reviewed in preparation for implementation of the EU directive dealing with this matter. In that context the points made by both Deputies will be taken on board.