DVT campaigners take fight to Europe

Campaigners for new airline rules to combat deep vein thrombosis, or "economy class syndrome", were told yesterday they must wait for at least two years before the EU will take measures against carriers.

At a meeting at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Loyola de Palacio, the European Commissioner for Transport, said she first needs the findings of an EU-sponsored scientific study of DVT.

Ms de Palacio met cam-paigners including two women whose children died after flights. Her spokesman, Giles Cantelet, said: "If you are going to make legislation you need to give scientific explanations. It is better to make proposals at the right time with the right evidence." The European Commission has written to the airlines urging them to provide guidance to passengers but this is left to the discretion of the carriers.

Because of the lack of clear scientific evidence, the European Commission and the British government have sponsored a World Health Organisation study which should be completed in 2004. Ruth Christofferson, chair of the Victims of Air Related DVT Association said the group was winning key supporters among MEPs. "We have taken an enormous step today. Many of the MEPs we spoke to, who are frequent travellers, were not taking precautions against DVT, but they will now."

Mrs Christoffersen's 28-year old daughter Emma, a bride-to-be from Newport, South Wales, died from a blood clot after flying from Australia to Britain in October 2000.

The group says people should be made aware of the dangers of DVT, with warnings printed on tickets, aimed particularly at those who may not realise they are at risk. They also say airlines should advise people to take exercise during flights, give information on the seat pitch and urge passengers not to drink before or during flights and to wear special compression stockings.

People thought to be particularly at risk include those with family history of DVT, those who have had recent surgery, women taking the contraceptive pill or undergoing HRT. The wait for scientific evidence means the Commission will not include anti-DVT measures in a package of proposed legislation on airline passenger rights.