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 improve diagnosis for people with chronic throat issues.

General practitioners (GPs) are usually the first point of contact for patients with persistent throat symptoms. They are expected to carry out an initial assessment, rule out common causes, and identify any “red flag” symptoms that require urgent referral to specialists.

We expect GPs to have regard to guidance published by the National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) and others when diagnosing or referring patients with persistent throat problems, as these set out evidence-based standards and best practice for assessment and referral. Relevant advice appears in guideline NG84, titled Acute sore throat antimicrobial prescribing, and guideline NG12, titled Suspected cancer referral criteria, as well as Clinical Knowledge Summaries for related conditions. NICE recommendations do not override the individual responsibility of health professionals to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of each patient, in consultation with the patient or their carer.

Healthcare professionals are expected to maintain their clinical knowledge as part of their continuing professional development. NICE guidance underpins this by providing evidence-based recommendations and structured learning resources that help them maintain up-to-date knowledge and improve the quality of patient care.