Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the potential of (1) a new national clinical director, and (2) new targets, to improve gastroenterology services.

National Clinical Director (NCD) posts within NHS England are aligned with its major clinical programmes of work, which in turn are aligned with the NHS Long Term Plan. NHS England keeps consideration of which areas would benefit from an NCD under review, and new NCDs are appointed as necessary.

The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme has invested in clinical leadership in gastroenterology, which is one of its priority workstreams. The programme will be establishing a liver disease programme in 2024/25, including recruiting to a clinical lead role.

A NCD provides clinical advice and leadership on the NHS England Internal Medicine Specialised Services portfolio, which includes specialised gastroenterology and liver disease. Additionally, a National Speciality Advisor provides clinical advice more specifically to the hepatobiliary and pancreas programme.

NHS England already has work in place to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and care of those with gastroenterological conditions. Through its GIRFT programme, NHS England is aiming to reduce unwarranted variation in treatments and services though in-depth review of services, benchmarking and presenting a data-driven evidence base to support change.

The GIRFT specialty report on gastroenterology, published in September 2021, sets out actions and recommendations for the National Health Service to improve patient care and ensure consistency of care across the country. The Department and NHS England expect National Health Service trusts and clinical teams to consider how best they can implement these recommendations to ensure consistent and high-quality care for gastroenterological conditions.