Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve the accuracy of diagnosing chronic urinary tract infections.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are caused by the presence and multiplication of microorganisms in the urinary tract.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) publishes quality standards to define clinical best practice for the diagnosis and treatment of conditions.

The NICE published the Urinary tract infections in adults quality standard in June 2015. The quality standard comprises of quality statements concerning the diagnosis, treatment and management of UTIs. Quality statement 1 and 2 offer specific guidance on ensuring more accurate diagnoses of UTIs in adults.

The guidance is available at: www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs90