Aviation Health Working Group minutes: 18 September 2003

Aviation Health Working Group Meeting

18 September 2003, Great Minster House, London SW1P 4DR

Present
Chair	Michael Smethers	DfT/MLD
Secretary	Michael Lee	DfT/MLD
	Philip Stables	DfT/MLD
	Dr Bill Maton-Howarth	DoH
	Tom Hamilton	CAA/SRG
	Dr Tony Evans	CAA/SRG
	Steve James	CAA/SRG
	Graeme Henderson	HSE
	Roger Wiltshire	BATA
	Nigel Dowdall	BATA
	Simon Evans	AUC
	George Blundell-Pound	JMC Airlines
	Peter North	BAR UK
	Dr Tony Goodwin	BALPA
Apologies
	Peter Smith	DfT/MLD
	Sandy Mitchell	BALPA

Item 1: Minutes of the previous inclusive meeting (16 May 2003)

The Chair introduced Dr Tony Goodwin who, in the absence of Sandy Mitchell, was representing BALPA.
The minutes of the last meeting were agreed as an accurate record.
Answering an action point from the previous inclusive meeting, George Blundell-Pound confirmed that Charter airlines kept passenger information (names and seat numbers) for a period of less than two months.

Item 2: Chair's introductory remarks

The Chair thanked BATA for their assistance in co-ordinating the UK airline response to an ECAC Working Group on Passenger Health Issues (APHI) questionnaire, covering the civil liability of a passenger doctor providing medical care on-board.
The Chair reported that John Smith MP had asked a question on airline liability for passenger health during Prime Minister's Question Time on 17 September. John Smith MP had also introduced an Aviation Health Bill in the House of Commons, naming 14 November for the Second Reading. The Chair expected that parliamentary time would not be made available for debate of the Bill.
Roger Wiltshire informed the Group of a Scholl sponsored Health Awareness and Travel event to be held in Portcullis House on 10 December. Both UK Airlines and the CAA had been invited to attend.

Action: Roger Wiltshire agreed to forward the invitation that BATA had received to DfT. Received with thanks.

Item 3: Research

Cabin Air

Bill Maton-Howarth reported that all measurements had been completed for the Extending Cabin Air study. Fourteen flights (8 x BAe146, 6 x B737) were monitored comprising both UK domestic flights and flights between the UK and other European countries. Flight times ranged between approximately 1 and 3 hours. Air quality parameters were monitored not only during passenger boarding and disembarkation, but also during all phases of flight - from take off, through cruise, and then to descent. BRE have presented the initial findings of the Report to the AHWG Research Sub Group (RSG). Following comments by the RSG, BRE will produce a final report refining details on measurements such as bacteria levels.

WHO Study

In the absence of Peter Smith, Bill Maton-Howarth reported that the Epidemiological study amongst frequent flyers will not be pursued. Instead wider ranging existing studies (MEGA and GIFT) would be utilised.

Action: The Chair asked Peter Smith and Bill Maton-Howarth to meet Frits Rosendaal to discuss the MEGA and GIFT studies to assess whether they are an adequate alternative for taking the work forward.

Action: DfT/MLD, in liaison with DoH, would consider drafting a letter to WHO stressing the need for adequate strategic management of the project as a whole.

Item 4: Possible Research on Effectiveness of Health Information

Bill Maton-Howarth reported that the draft report should be available shortly for discussion by the RSG. The study comprised of 12 focus groups and 16 in-depth interviews. All of those taking part had flown long haul with a UK airline in the previous 6 months, and represented a mix of ages / lifestyles and genders.
Bill Maton-Howarth outlined the emerging issues:

Men (especially young men) are less informed on DVT, and generally less concerned about health issues.
Most respondents had become aware of DVT as a health issue in the previous 18 - 36 months.
The majority of respondents had not discussed DVT with medical staff. Vaccinations were seen as a more important issue.
Respondents had not been put off flying by the risk of DVT.
Respondents were unlikely to seek information on DVT unless they had blood pressure problems.
Respondents thought that the Government and airlines had a responsibility for providing information on DVT
Very few respondents had used the web to access information, but those who had, found the British Airways website useful.

The Chair said that the findings of the report would be discussed at the next Inclusive meeting.
Tony Evans reported on the ECAC APHI subgroup meetings in Frankfurt in August. The remit of the PROSERV Sub-Group was to review the existing health related services for the passenger on-board and at the airport. Detailed recommendations would be discussed at the next PROSERV Sub-Group meeting on 14 October at Gatwick. The INFOPAX subgroup was set up to determine how the dissemination of health information for passengers could be most efficiently organised. The INFOPAX subgroup had concluded that for passengers the WHO website was a useful resource. Similarly the Aerospace Medical Association website provided useful information for health professionals.

Item 5: CAA Aviation Health Unit

The Chair reported that the recruitment round for the post of Head of the Unit had provided a good field. The successful candidate is to commence work at Gatwick on 1 December 2003. The CAA will announce the appointment in November. The Chair added that the All Party Parliamentary Group on DVT had invited the new Head of the Unit to a meeting on 4 November. Given that the Head would not then be in post, the offer would be declined.

Item 6: AOB

George Blundell-Pound distributed a Thomas Cook leaflet, Care in the air. The leaflet is provided to passengers in the event that they make a health enquiry.
Graeme Henderson notified the Group of the HS Commission's approval of the HSE approach for working, with the CAA and Industry, to implement the Aviation Working Time Directive. Graeme Henderson also informed the Group that the TGWU had expresses a keen interest attending a meeting of the AHWG.

Action: MLD3 will issue an invite to the TGWU to attend an Inclusive meeting of the AHWG.

Roger Wiltshire produced two House of Commons PQs concerning deep vein thrombosis, answered by the DoH (127477 and 127595). Though the questions had not specifically mentioned travel, the written answers had highlighted air travel related DVT.

Action: The Chair asked Bill Maton-Howarth to ensure co-ordination between DoH and DfT in future DVT-related PQs.