Written question asked by Jim Cunningham (Labour) on Monday, 5 July 1999, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 12 July 1999. It was answered by John Denham (Labour) on Monday, 12 July 1999 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made regarding the ability of Prodigy to deliver the latest practical clinical guidance.

Answer: Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made regarding the ability of Prodigy to deliver the latest practical clinical guidance. [90248] Mr. Denham: The recommended treatments in Prodigy have been chosen on the basis of clinical effectiveness, safety and appropriateness, and take account of existing national or well-recognised guidelines, where these are appropriate to general medical practice. When new products are introduced, they are added to the Prodigy system if appropriate and as soon as is practical. The commissioning and maintenance of the Prodigy guidance will come under the overview of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). Details of how NICE will take this forward will be published in due course.

Secondary information