§ Ms PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to ensure that surgeons adhere to the guidance issued by the Royal College of Surgeons regarding the training of specialists in minimally invasive techniques.
§ Mr. SackvilleChief executives of national health service trusts and general managers of directly managed units are responsible for ensuring high standards of practice within hospitals. District health authorities also have a responsibility, through the contracting process, to ensure that their populations have access to high quality care.
Standards of postgraduate and continuing medical education are the responsibility of the medical royal colleges, which are independent bodies. A representative of the appropriate royal college sits on consultant appointment advisory committees. We have welcomed the Senate of Royal Surgical Colleges' statement on quality assurance. This will provide useful support for NHS management and dovetails well with our current initiative on continuing medical education.