Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve the treatment on the NHS for people with Lyme disease.

Jane Ellison

The National Health Service already provides medical care following existing guidance but to strengthen the evidence base we have commissioned the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to develop guidelines for the recognition and treatment of Lyme disease; this is expected in June 2018.

New diagnostic tests for Lyme disease are regularly reviewed by Public Health England (PHE) who also participates in a Europe wide Quality Assurance programme to ensure that the most suitable tests available are used.

In addition, PHE provides information on Lyme disease and tick awareness to the medical profession and the public, hold regular medical training days, and work with Lyme Disease Action to support the needs and interests of patients.