Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase awareness of gut health.

Information on digestive health is published by the National Health Service and is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/digestive-health/

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published best practice guidance, and a corresponding quality standard, on diagnosing and managing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in people aged 18 and over [CG61 and QS114]. These set out recommendations and quality standards for clinicians on the care for patients with IBS by promoting effective management using dietary and lifestyle advice, pharmacological therapy and referral for psychological interventions.

To assist with increasing the visibility of its guidance, NICE promotes its guidance via its website, newsletters and other media. It also publishes information for the public, which explains the care people with IBS should receive as set out in the NICE guideline.