Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the NHS is taking to improve training for doctors on (a) understanding and (b) treating chronic urinary tract infections.

The standard of training for doctors is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC). The GMC sets the outcome standards expected at undergraduate level. The curricula for postgraduate training is set by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges for foundation training, and by individual Royal Colleges and faculties for specialty training. The GMC approves curricula and assessment systems for each training programme.

Curricula across the specialties where doctors in training might regularly treat patients with urinary tract infections will contain competencies relating to understanding, identifying and treating urinary tract infections and the associated symptoms. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges Evidenced-based interventions (EBI) programme includes guidance on chronic UTIs, with more information available at the following link:

https://ebi.aomrc.org.uk/interventions/investigation-and-onward-referral-of-women-with-recurrent-uti/

In September 2024, the EBI programme was adopted as standard operating procedure by the National Health Service.

The Royal College of General Practitioners also provide e-learning on UTIs, with more information available at the following link:

https://elearning.rcgp.org.uk/mod/book/tool/print/index.php?id=12652