Written questions, answers and statements

Cystic Fibrosis: Community Diagnostic Centres

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Question for Department of Health and Social Care

UIN 77512, tabled on 18 November 2021

Question

Olivia Blake
Labour
Sheffield, Hallam
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that all 100 community diagnostic hubs implement NICE guideline NG78 to include diagnostic tests to detect fibrosis.

This answer is the replacement for a previous holding answer.

Answer

Gillian Keegan
Conservative
Chichester
Commons

Answered on

24 November 2021

Cystic fibrosis is mainly detected in new-born babies as part of the heel prick test. Otherwise, it is normally diagnosed by a combination of gene sequencing from blood tests and a sweat test, which is performed at specialist centres. Long term follow-up of lung function, or spirometry, is similarly performed at specialist centres. As such, this patient group and diagnosis is not in scope for community diagnostic centres.

Answered by

Department of Health and Social Care
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