Dari Taylor wants to improve screening for sudden cardiac death - do you?

The Labour MP for Stockton South, Dari Taylor, hopes to reduce the risks of this syndrome with her Private Members' Bill.

With the support of celebrities including cricketer Ian Botham, Mrs Taylor claims the current Department of Health guidelines for screening against sudden death syndrome are inadequate.

What the Cardiac Risk in the Young (Screening) Bill will do Establish an automatic right to screening for relatives of those who have died of sudden cardiac death Establish the right to screening for those diagnosed with symptoms likely to lead to sudden cardiac death and their families Enhance the screening process

Are you aware of the risks of sudden cardiac death? What do you think is the most effective way of preventing these deaths? Does the NHS provide sufficient screening facilities already?

Dari Taylor has answered your questions. You can watch the interview by clicking on the link below:-

Coming up soon

Or you can watch the interview on BBC Parliament on Thursday 11 March at 2245 GMT and Friday 12 March at 2100 GMT

The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received:

Surely a key question is, should young people have the same rights to medical treatment as old people? What is the value of a young life? Currently, young people presenting with symptoms are often not receiving even an ECG, and are often told they are just anxious. I am not aware that GP�s are experts in anxiety and should feel so confident making this diagnosis after a relatively short appointment. If a person is prone to �passing out� it is important they know why, in some cases this may be cardiac, if it is, they could be at great risk.
Paul, Surrey

Another key question is if young unexplained sudden deaths are rare, why are the families not being told about the importance of screening? It is sad that such a prosperous and developed society as Great Britain needs a law to be introduced to get the message through that young people can die of heart conditions. These deaths are horrendous for everyone involved and something can be done. We can at least start by offering ECGs to those who are at greatest risk, those who have lost a parent, child, brother or sister. Surely these people have suffered enough.
Bob, England

When my son had the symptoms for Cardiomyopathy 13 years ago the GPs were not aware of this conditon. He was misdiagnosed and he died running a few weeks later. I am not sure if all GPs are aware of Sudden Death Syndrome even now. Parents and siblings of people who die like this are not automatically screened. This causes great anquish for the parents worrying about their other children having the same condition. A screening would put their mind at ease if the child is cleared. If the child has the same condition than there are medical intervention, medicines that can be taken and they can be advised on how they can adapt their lifestyle to reduce the risk of sudden death.
Margy, London

More than screening is required Len, Skipton

As a person who has had three heart attacks and recently a triple by-pass graft, anything that can be done to reduce heart disease/attacks is most welcome. But more than screening is required Before my first attack I visited my GP and told of my symptoms and my family's history of heart disease and he sent me away with a prescription for antacid. Five hours later i woke in a hospital intensive care unit having had a heart attack. Heart disease brings misery to close family, so if there is be screening it needs to be done as early as possible and it requires financial resources.
Len, Skipton

Can Dr Taylor give a single other set of symptoms that give people the "right" to screening for a particular disease, or do we trust doctors to make the best medical judgement when people arrive feeling unwell?I'm not against MPs campaigning to highlight little known and understood diseases, but to make a law forcing a doctor to do something seems ridiculous. Treatment decisions should be left to professionals, not politicians.
Martyn, UK

Is there a cure for sudden death? I expect that most people die suddenly. I'm not sure if this is just another "spend some extra money and cure everyone" schemes which will fail - disappointing those to whom it really would make a difference. Lets face it, I have waited for six months to have a kidney scan - if it was for sudden cardiac death, I might well have suddenly died already! The NHS is a decrepid organ that needs a complete rethink, not more targets and processes leading to more delays for those already on waiting lists. I am slightly cynical, but I worked for the NHS in a lab on low wages for years. Be brave, face up and give the NHS a new direction before it dies of cardiac failure due to stress and overload.
Ian, Wales

Prevention is better than cure isn't it? Tim, Kent

I think it is a very good idea to offer young men and women a chance to be screened for heart disease early, after all prevention is better than cure isn't it? But then I thought it was a good idea to stop people shooting each other too, obviously Barry Q does not agree with either policy!
Tim, Herne Bay, Kent

Why not just ban heart attacks? That would be just as effective as the moronic gun control laws the muppets that be have come out with in the past.
Barry Q, Barnstaple, N Devon

How on earth do you stop death? I will die at my appointed time. Maybe as a society we should be more concerned with life here and now.
Stanley, England

Is it justifiable to spend a considerable amount of money on a screening programme for a syndrome which thankfully affects so few young people? Would it not be better to spend this money on ensuring there are resources in place to cover the shortage in qualified health professionals available following the reduction in the hours worked by junior doctors? Under-qualified or over-stretched staff in acute hospitals are arguably likely to cause the death of more people than this screening would protect.
Anne, Surbiton