§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the capacity of NHS organisations to implement the National Institute for Clinical Excellence recommendations on patient education. [158030]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe National Institute for Clinical Excellence published a technology appraisal on patient education models in diabetes in May 2003. It recommended that structured patient education is made930W available to all people with diabetes at the time of initial diagnosis and then as required on an ongoing basis, based on a formal, regular assessment of need. The National Health Service locally is usually required to make funds available to support NICE appraisal guidance within three months of publication. In the case of this guidance, the Secretary of State issued a direction to waive this requirement, as NICE advised that successful implementation of structured educational programmes would depend on the availability of an appropriately trained workforce. Primary care trusts, in working towards the Planning and Priorities Framework target of having practice based registers and systematic treatment for people with diabetes by 2006, should consider the introduction of structured education as an important element of a systematic treatment regime.