Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on variation between Integrated Care Systems in access to specialist stoma review and structured follow-up.
The Department has not specifically attempted to estimate the full costs to the National Health Service of preventable stoma management or the merits of introducing a nationally mandated annual specialist stoma review requirement within the NHS Standard Contract. However, as part of work linked to reforms of Part IX of the Drug Tariff, the Department is aware that patient experience varies, and through NHS England, is currently reviewing the provision of stoma products and stoma services.
The Department does not hold data on variation between integrated care systems (ICS) in access to specialist stoma review and structured follow-up. However, through this work NHS England has been engaging ICSs to understand what impacts stoma care and to identify improvements.