§ Mr. AustinTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to issue NHS guidance on continence in place of the existing guidelines; [120751]
(2) what action he is taking to ensure national minimum standards in the NHS in dealing with continence problems; [120752]
407W(3) what plans he has to monitor the provision of services for people with continence problems; and if he will make a statement. [120753]
§ Mr. Hutton"Good Practice in Continence Services" was issued on 19 April 2000. This guidance suggests targets for primary and community teams, health authorities and National Health Service trusts. It includes appropriate references to the NHS Performance Assessment Framework, which is used to plan and monitor the delivery of services.
A National Service Framework for Older People is currently being developed. This will supplement the guidance on continence services by placing it in the wider context of improving NHS services for older people.