Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report entitled Stakeholder experiences of the diagnosis of Lyme disease, A systematic review, published by Department of Health Reviews Facility in December 2017, what steps he has taken to improve the (a) diagnosis, (b) technology for and (c) testing of Lyme disease since the publication of that report.

The Department commissioned four independent separate systematic reviews of all relevant literature on the diagnosis, treatment, transmission and prevention of Lyme disease.

The four systematic reviews were completed and published in December 2017 which assessed the existing evidence. The Department is aware of the findings which are available to the public, the research community and all research funders.

We are investing over £1 billion a year in health research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The usual practice of the NIHR is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics: research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research on Lyme disease including those that reflect the conclusions of the systematic reviews as part of its regular processes. All applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.