Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department takes to ensure that clinical commissioning groups safeguard access to medical nutrition for all patients in their area for whom it is recommended as part of NICE guidelines.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical guidelines represent best practice and we expect National Health Service organisations to take them fully into account as they design services for their local populations.

NICE clinical guidelines are not mandatory but the expectation is that NHS organisations will implement them over time drawing upon clinical judgement, and commissioners will take them into account when making commissioning decisions.