Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to increase (a) awareness and (b) training for clinicians on the Getting It Right First Time pathway for (i) Cauda Equina and (ii) other spinal injuries.

Individual employers are responsible for investing in post-registration training, ensuring that staff are trained and competent to carry out their role and are adequately supported throughout their training. All training undertaken by post-registration qualified staff should be in line with national and local guidelines covering the training being undertaken.

NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) programme has worked collaboratively with a multidisciplinary group of more than 60 health professionals to develop an interactive pathway for those patients with suspected cauda equina syndrome, designed to support clinical teams to diagnose and treat the condition without delay and improve patient outcomes.

The pathway offers best practice along all stages of the patient pathway, from presentation to their GP or in the community, to presentation at hospital and diagnosis, to surgery and on to post-operative care. It is supported by detailed guidance, outlining when and how to carry out stages of the pathway, including best practice for referrals and imaging, surgical techniques, pain control and other post-operative support