HC Deb 28 June 2000 vol 352 c515W
Dr. Gibson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he has taken to provide protection to patients who utilise the Internet for health information services and products. [127883]

Ms Stuart

[holding answer 27 June 2000]: The success of the Internet has been partly due to the ease with which people can access and create information. While it is not possible to restrict what patients see on the Internet, we recognise the need to signpost information sources, and to give easy access to relevant quality information that the public and patients can rely on, and which is presented in a clear and intelligible way.

A number of information initiatives are being put in place to improve the quality and range of information available about health and health services:

  • The National Health Service Executive has set up the Centre for Health Information Quality (CHiQ). The role of CHiQ is to work with the producers of information for the patients and the public to improve its quality, accessibility and evidence base. The CHiQ work uses the DISCERN tool for evaluating health literature. DISCERN was developed by the UK academic sector in collaboration with healthcare professionals and is funded by the NHS Executive.
  • NHS Direct Online (www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk) is a highly successful gateway to health information on the Internet attracting 25,000 users a week and complementing the NHS Direct telephone advice service. NHS Direct Online is managed by the CHiQ on behalf of the NHS Executive.
  • nhs.uk will provide a strongly branded gateway (www.nhs.uk) to NHS websites and licensed or accredited websites and services. Close working relationships with the Department of Health, NHS Executive, other NHS Information Authority programmes and the NHS are in place.
  • The National Electronic Library for Health (NeLH) will provide a common point of public access to a wide range of health knowledge bases. The NeLH will emphasise the need for all clinical practitioners to critically evaluate sources.

There is currently no formal process of NHS accreditation of the vast amount of clinical and health related reference material already available on the Internet. Feedback from the consultation exercise on the NHS National Plan has indicated that there is a need to identify NHS approved quality resources by means of a NHS "kitemark". The work being undertaken by CHiQ and the NHS Information Authority to develop NHS Direct Online and the National Electronic Library for Health will help to identify practical options for achieving this.

Ultimately however the responsibility rests on individual clinicians, patients and members of the public to make their own judgments about the validity of the material they access.