Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to dermatology, allergy and immunology conditions, including chronic spontaneous urticaria, in the development of Modern Service Frameworks and development of the National Quality Strategy.

To support clinicians in the diagnosis, treatment, care and support of patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has developed a clinical knowledge summary for the management of the condition. Patients can usually be managed with either antihistamines or steroids, but the guidance also makes clear that patients should be considered for a referral to a dermatologist where symptoms are severe, persistent, or unresponsive to first-line treatments.

Modern service frameworks define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. The Government has asked the National Quality Board which long-term conditions should be considered for future waves of modern service frameworks, based on an assessment of the potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. We will update Parliament on the results of that process in the usual way in due course.