Written question asked by Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat) on Wednesday, 22 April 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 29 April 2026 (named day). It was answered by Zubir Ahmed (Labour) on Wednesday, 29 April 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Gastrointestinal System: Diseases

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consideration his Department has given to the integration of recommendations from the Getting It Right First Time programme for gastroenterology into the national quality strategy.

Answer: We recognise the value of clinically‑led improvement programmes such as Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) in identifying and addressing unwarranted variation in care, including in gastroenterology. Rather than being incorporated into the National Quality Strategy, which will set out overarching principles and priorities for improving quality, GIRFT recommendations are developed through detailed clinical engagement, analysis of national data, and close working with professional bodies, providers, and systems. Specialty‑specific recommendations from programmes such as GIRFT are used to inform delivery at national, regional, and local levels, rather than being incorporated as prescriptive elements of the strategy itself.

Secondary information