Written question asked by Lord Lansley (Conservative) on Wednesday, 29 June 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 4 July 2005. It was answered by Liam Byrne (Labour) on Wednesday, 5 October 2005 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Digestive Conditions

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to raise awareness among (a) health professionals and (b) the public of the symptoms of digestive conditions and diseases.

Answer: Addressing the training needs of health professionals working is the responsibility of the appropriate regulatory bodies. They set standards for the pre-registration training of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, approve the education institutions that provide the training and determine the curricula.Post-registration training needs for national health service staff are decided against local NHS priorities, through appraisal processes and training needs analyses informed by local delivery plans and the needs of the service. Local authorities and health service providers decide how best to provide services to meet the needs of the individuals.The NHS Plan promotes and supports self care as one of the five key service elements of a patient-centred NHS—preventive care, self care, primary care, hospital care and intermediate care. This is about promoting the involvement of patients and the public in their own treatment and care by providing appropriate facilities, for example, through information, education, training, equipment and peer support and by partnership with health and social care professionals where necessary. Patients have access to NHS Direct and NHS Direct Online, which includes a health encyclopaedia and frequently asked questions on issues such as digestive conditions.

Secondary information