§ 38. Mr. SandersTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of progress towards meeting the objectives of the St. Vincent's Declaration in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [29352]
§ Ms JowellWe are committed to improving health services for people with diabetes, and we have accepted the international St. Vincent's Declaration, to which the previous Government signed up.
In 1992 the Department and the British Diabetic Association set up the St. Vincent Joint Task Force for Diabetes, which reported in 1995 making recommendations about good clinical and management practice in eleven key areas. The Department then set up a diabetes subgroup of the Clinical Outcomes Group to develop service guidance for the National Health Service. The guidance, entitled "Key features of a good diabetes service", was issued in November 1997 as Health Service Guidelines HSG(97)45. The Department has also commissioned clinical guidelines and other clinical effectiveness materials for diabetes.