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 (a) knowledge of and (b) training on Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders for NHS health professionals.

We have commissioned the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to produce a quality standard on the education and awareness of foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) as well as improved data collection and prevention.

Each medical school in the England sets its own undergraduate curriculum which must meet the standards set by the General Medical Council (GMC) in its Outcomes for Graduates. The GMC would expect that, in fulfilling these standards, newly qualified doctors are able to identify, treat and manage any care needs, including FASD. The training curricula for postgraduate trainee doctors is set by the relevant Royal College and must meet the standards set by the GMC.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the Royal College of General Practitioners curricula contain sections on foetal alcohol spectrum disorders alongside e-learning training modules. The curriculum for non-medical healthcare professionals is set by the higher education institutes to meet the standards of healthcare regulators. All curricula emphasise the skills and approaches a health care practitioner must develop to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients, including those with FASD.