Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the NHS Getting it right first time guidance for hysteroscopies.

The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme’s role is to provide guidance to National Health Service trusts to help improve the delivery of services and, in doing so, it follows the professional standards and recommendations of the professional bodies.

GIRFT has worked closely with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy to support hospital trusts in improving women’s choices and appropriate settings for gynaecological procedures, such as hysteroscopy and endometrial ablation, acknowledging the shift to more day case and outpatient procedures.

Since the report was published, GIRFT has responded to feedback from patients, adding an addendum to the 2021 report and amending one recommendation to reiterate the imperative that all women undergoing day case and outpatient procedures are given clear and accurate information to enable them to make informed decisions about their preferred treatment setting and pain control. Ultimately, the decision on care setting for this procedure must be made with the patient, after due consideration of all relevant information.