§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he will publish the NHS guidance on continence services; [96073]
(2) what measures he intends to take to ensure that local health authorities and primary care groups implement the forthcoming guidance on continence services; [96075]
(3) what is the earliest practical date from which local health authorities and social services will have to incorporate the NHS guidance on continence services into their budgets; [96074]
(4) what meetings he and his officials have had with GP representatives to ensure that GPs are proactive in identifying patients who need continence care. [96076]
§ Mr. HuttonWe have recently received the report from the working group which was set up to advise the Department on guidance for continence services. We are now considering the report. The working group included a general practitioner representative. We hope to publish the guidance in the near future.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what information is provided by NHS Direct to callers who call with inquiries about continence; and what is the source of that information. [96077]
§ Ms StuartThe way in which NHS Direct deals with calls about continence will depend very much on the nature of the caller's symptoms and needs. Calls from members of the public generally fall into two broad categories. If the continence problem is a new symptom for the caller, the nurse adviser would assess the call using the relevant protocol and would refer the caller to the most appropriate health professional, for example the general practitioner. Otherwise, if the call was a general inquiry about continence, the caller would be referred to the most relevant source for further information.