 In 1993 Northampton Health Authority
and Northampton Borough Council were alerted by a local Borough Councillor
to a possible cluster of cases of childhood
leukaemia in the Pembroke Road area of the Spencer Estate in Northampton.
We were told that there was particular public anxiety that these may have
been caused by an accident on the railway line in the early 1980's involving
radioactive material.
Leukaemia is a very serious and
distressing illness. Not only is it a lethal disease when left untreated
but the treatment itself can be long and traumatic. It causes a lot
of stress to both the children affected and their families. The Health
Authority were very concerned and an investigation into this cluster was
set up at the time in collaboration with Northampton Borough Council.
The investigation concluded that:
-
there were no other cases of childhood leukaemia in this area
-
the incidence of childhood leukaemia in Northamptonshire was not higher
than in the rest of the country
-
the cluster was probably a chance occurrence
-
there was no evidence or record of an accident on the railway line involving
radioactive material
-
there was no environmental hazard in the Pembroke Road area that could
have accounted for this cluster and which could be used as a starting point
for a case-control study
-
a local epidemiological study would
not be large enough to provide any additional information (we consulted
national experts who confirmed this conclusion)
-
large, well-organised and well-conducted studies are in progress that are
designed to discover the causes of childhood leukaemia
-
the residents of the Spencer Estate are probably not at any higher risk
of developing leukaemia than other residents throughout the county
-
we should continue to actively look for new cases of childhood leukaemia
which might change the picture
-
we should continue to follow the scientific evidence about the causes of
leukaemia in order to be able to take appropriate preventive measures if
and when these are identified.
The conclusions of the investigation
were fed back to the community through a number of local networks, including
local councillors, the school health system and General Practitioners.
Two public meetings were held. One was held by Dr Hover, the school doctor
responsible for children in this area at the Camrose Clinic. The other
was run by a Health Visitor and the School Nurse at the Gladstone Lower
School. We received feedback from these sources and from other people
in the community that the public anxiety had lessened.
However, it became apparent in
1995 when a number of articles about these leukaemia cases appeared in
the local press that the measures we had taken in 1993 had not alleviated
public concern. We reviewed the situation and came to the same conclusions
as before. This time we felt it was important to communicate directly
with worried families and organised a private meeting for them to discuss
their concerns with local and national experts, question representatives
from the Health Authority and Borough Council about their investigations,
and tell us what they think ought to be done. A number of points
were raised at this meeting which the Health Authority agreed to answer
in a written report. |
An Investigation into
Childhood Leukaemia in Northampton