(no subject)

Written Question

Asked by Lord Elton

To ask the Chairman of Committees whether consideration will be given to acquiring a number of respectable cats to reduce the rodent population of the Palace of Westminster. [HL2039]

The Chairman of Committees (Lord Brabazon of Tara): The possible use of cats, respectable or otherwise, to control the rodent population in the Palace of Westminster has been considered and rejected on a number of practical grounds. For example, the cats would ingest mouse poison when eating poisoned mice; there would be nothing to keep them in the areas where they are most needed, or to stop them walking on desks in offices and on tables in restaurants and bars; they can carry fleas and other parasites; and many people are allergic to cat hair. However, the Administration is taking a wide range of other control measures such as significantly increasing the number of bait boxes and traps, sealing mouse access points and intensifying the cleaning regime to minimise the presence of crumbs in the bars and food outlets. The age, construction and location of the Palace of Westminster are such that it will never be possible to eradicate mice entirely, but all appropriate measures are being taken to minimise the numbers.

(no subject)

You know, I like to think that there are GPs out there who are capable of spotting serious illnesses and indeed doing more than saying “It sounds like a virus, stay at home and drink plenty of fluids”, but when you come across yet another story like this, you have to wonder:

A teenage cheerleader had to have her leg amputated after doctors missed her cancer four times, telling her it was growing pains.

Shannon Corr, 15, repeatedly visited GPs for over two months complaining of agonising pains in her right knee and shin that left her struggling to walk.

But doctors told her she was suffering from growing pains and advised her simply to go home and rest.

After GPs refused to refer Shannon to hospital, her desperate mother rushed her to A&E and pretended she had fallen over so she could be fully examined.

Doctors immediately spotted a problem, but by the time the rare bone cancer osteosarcoma was diagnosed it had spread to the soft tissue of Shannon's leg and medics were forced to amputate. [Daily Mail]

I already had a long list of stories like this, some attributable in print and others anecdotal, but this comes only a week after I met a woman who is undergoing aggressive chemotherapy to combat her breast cancer which remained undiagnosed for the best part of a year because two GPs in the same practice airily dismissed her alarm that the lump under her arm could be breast cancer at the tender age of 37. “What’s probably happened,” said one of them—this is my favourite—“is that you’ve leant your arm over the back a chair for too long, and it’s pushed the tissue up and formed that lump.” She said that after her cancer was diagnosed, these two clowns couldn’t do enough to help her, presumably because they’re more familiar with malpractice procedures than she is. My mother noted the names of the two doctors and will alert the hospital where she works that there are two extremely dangerous GPs operating locally, but this level of lethal complacency seems to be worryingly widespread.