Maggot Therapy

EDM number 993 in 2006-07, proposed by Madeleine Moon on 27/02/2007.

That this House notes that it is estimated that treatment is required for 650,000 diabetic and venous ulcers in the UK each year at an estimated cost of £3 billion; acknowledges that effective debridement or removal of necrotic (rotting) material from the wound is a key element in preparing a wound for treatment; notes that tests imply that that it takes an average of 89 days' treatment to achieve complete debridement of all wounds; further notes that the use of sterile maggots such as those provided by Zoobiotic of Bridgend have become an accepted valuable resource for the debridement of infected and necrotic wounds, having been utilised in the treatment of 30,000 patients in some 3,300 centres in the UK and beyond with the average cleaning of a wound taking only five days, therefore incurring reduced staff costs and bed use and, crucially, reducing potential infection by MRSA; further notes that such treatment therefore has the potential to save the NHS between £15 and £30 million if used on only 10 to 20 per cent. of wounds; and calls on the Department of Health to encourage NHS trusts to examine how dressings containing sterile maggots or free-range maggots can be utilised to clean wounds, reduce treatment times and improve outcomes for patients.

This motion has been signed by a total of 73 MPs, 5 of these signatures have been withdrawn.