Written question asked by Stephen Hesford (Labour) on Thursday, 9 July 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 13 July 2009. It was answered by Ann Keen (Labour) on Monday, 13 July 2009 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Fibromyalgia

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is on the provision of services for people diagnosed with fibromyalgia; and whether he plans to review that policy.

Answer: People living with fibromyalgia have access to the full range of health and social care from the national health service, including access to pain management services. We have no plans to review this policy.We have published an 18-week pathway to support those commissioning pain management services. The pathway is specifically aimed at supporting local implementation of good practice, to improve efficiency, reduce delays, and improve quality of service provision in a safe and effective way.It is the responsibility of primary care trusts to commission specific services for people with fibromyalgia, taking into account the resources they have available, the needs of their wider population, and available guidance on best practice.

Secondary information