§ Mr. LevittTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the report of the independent evaluation of Clinical Terms Version 3 (the Read Codes); and if he will make a statement. [81073]
§ Mr. DenhamThe evaluation of Clinical Terms Version 3 (the Read Codes) is being carried out in three stages. The first stage has now been completed and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
The second stage of the Evaluation is currently underway and will produce a methodology for long term evaluation of the Clinical Terminology in live use in the National Health Service. This methodology will then be used in stage three of the evaluation, which will involve continuous evaluation of the effective use of Clinical Terminologies in the NHS.
271WAs a result of recommendations made in the report the NHS Executive intends to mandate the use of a coded clinical terminology (currently Clinical Terms Version 3) and has entered into an Agreement with the College of American Pathologists to create a new international standard which combines CAP's SNOMEDTM with the Clinical Terms Version 3 (Read Codes).