Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the NHS Steroid Emergency Card is recognised by A&E staff across England.
Answer
In regards to the wider action being taken regarding the availability of emergency hydrocortisone injections, I refer the Hon. Member to the response given on 22 April to Question 126862 , and on 25 June to Question 9822 . Regarding the NHS Steroid Emergency Card, I refer the Hon. Member to the response given on 16 January 2025 to Question 23199 , referring to the following publication: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-patient-safety-alert-steroid-emergency-card-to-support-early-recognition-and-treatment-of-adrenal-crisis-in-adults/
Verdict: AMBER (30/100)
The question asked what the Department is doing to ensure A&E staff recognise a particular card. The reply mainly points the Member back to an earlier answer from 16 January 2025 and to an NHS England patient safety alert, but it does not explain in its own words what the Department is doing. The alert is a concrete measure, so the reply is not empty, but a reader would most likely need to ask again for specifics on the Department's actions.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is the Department doing to ensure that the NHS Steroid Emergency Card is recognised by A&E staff across England? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply only refers the Member to an earlier answer (16 January 2025, Question 23199) and links to NHS England's national patient safety alert on the card, without stating in its own words what the Department is doing to ensure A&E recognition. The alert is a concrete instrument, so the reply is not empty, but its substance sits in external material the reply does not summarise. |