Health Services: Equality
(asked on )
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that the implementation of guidance following the consultation, Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care: A consultation on guidance for CCGs achieves objective 1 of the Government’s mandate to NHS England on reducing health inequalities.
NHS England has statutory requirements to improve quality, reduce inequalities, promote patient involvement and promote more integrated services, innovation, research, and education and training. The Secretary of State sets out objectives in the mandate and holds NHS England to account for both objectives and key statutory duties through the six monthly mandate assurance report, and by publishing an annual assessment of NHS England’s performance in response to its annual report. The mandate is the primary formal accountability mechanism between the Secretary of State and NHS England.
NHS England, in partnership with NHS Clinical Commissioners (the organisation that represents clinical commissioning groups (CCGs)) has recently published CCG guidance setting out recommendations on Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care. This guidance outlines appropriate prescribing for the 35 conditions specified.
The guidance issued is commissioning guidance for CCGs in England only, and is not a clinical guideline and as such, it does not affect a general practitioner’s ability to determine what the cause of specified symptoms are, to make a diagnosis and then to act appropriately. NHS England also published a full Equality and Health Inequalities Impact Assessment with the guidance which covers groups protected by the Equality Act 2010. A copy of the document can be accessed at the following link: