§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what initiatives his Department takes in advising medical schools to provide training for medical practitioners in the care of the incontinent; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NeedhamThe content of undergraduate medical education is a matter for universities within broad guidelines laid down by the General Medical Council.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) to what extent he encourages the provision of district continence nurse advisers; what encouragement he gives for the development of such services; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what advice, encouragement and guidance his Department gives for the establishment of walk-in or self-referral continence clinics; and if he will make a statement;
(3) if he will take steps to ensure that minimum acceptable standards of care for incontinent persons are available within each district health authority in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NeedhamIt is for the health and social services boards to assess and decide the type and level of provision required and the priority they attach to the development of incontinence services in the light of local needs and circumstances. Whilst I would expect health and social services boards to provide acceptable incontinence services, I do not intend to set minimum standards of care152W for incontinent persons or to offer advice to boards on the appointment of continence nurse advisers and the establishment of clinics.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if his Department will provide vocational courses on the control and care of incontinent persons for general practitioners; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NeedhamThe Department, through the Northern Ireland Council for Postgraduate Medical Education, provides a comprehensive range of courses covering all fields relevant to general practice. Incontinence is included as a module in several of these courses.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give an estimate of the number of male incontinent persons in the age brackets 15 to 64 and 65-plus years in Northern Ireland; if he will give the same estimates for females; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NeedhamNo reliable estimates are currently available.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what advice his Department gives to health authorities regarding the importance of medical-surgical management and nursing care management of incontinent patients; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what advice he gives regarding the provision of continence advice and service; what information he has on variations in care of incontinent patients from one area to 153W Another; if he will write to each health board concerning provision for the treatment of incontinence; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NeedhamThe management and treatment of incontinence is a matter for professional medical and nursing staff. Information on the care of incontinent patients is not collected centrally. The Department of Health and Social Services recognises the important contribution which the correct treatment and management of incontinence makes to the well-being of incontinent patients and co-operates with professional bodies in the provision of suitable training for staff. I have no plans to write to health and social services boards on this subject.