Written question asked by Meg Munn (Labour) on Tuesday, 27 March 2012, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 16 April 2012. It was answered by Simon Burns (Conservative) on Monday, 16 April 2012 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Sleep Apnoea

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that GPs are aware of the warning signs of obstructive sleep apnoea and are screened for that condition using (a) the Epworth sleepiness test or (b) other recognised tests.

Answer: The British Thoracic Society and Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network published a clinical guideline on the management of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) in 2003 that sets out the common features of sleep apnoea and the use of the validated Epworth Sleepiness Scale as a validated method of assessing the likelihood of falling asleep in various situations. The guideline can be used by general practitioners in helping to recognise the signs and symptoms of OSA.The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) technology appraisal for ““Continuous positive airway pressure for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome””, recommended that:"““The diagnosis and treatment of Obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS), and the monitoring of the response, should be carried out by a specialist service with appropriately trained medical and support staff.””"The NICE technology appraisal document is available at:"www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/TA139Guidance.pdf"The National Clinical Directors for Respiratory Disease, Professor Sue Hill and Dr Robert Winter, are currently considering whether more can be done to ensure that the symptoms of OSA are identified and acted upon in primary care.

Secondary information