Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability comprehensive perioperative care pathways for NHS patients.

Well-organised peri-operative care pathways improve patient outcomes and increase the efficiency of NHS services. All trusts that provide surgical care automatically provide a peri-operative care pathway.

The Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Royal College of Surgeons have supported the introduction of Enhanced Recovery to improve peri-operative care and this is being actively promoted through RightCare guidance to commissioners and through the Getting It Right First Time Programme for hospitals. This applies to all trusts in England who provide peri-operative care.