Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that first responders receive consistent training and guidance on recognising adrenal crisis and administering emergency hydrocortisone without delay.
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: RED (15/100)
The question asked about training or guidance for first responders on recognising and treating adrenal crisis. The reply does not answer this directly. It refers back to earlier answers on hydrocortisone injections and the NHS Steroid Emergency Card, and links to an NHS England patient safety alert on adults, but none of these clearly describes training or guidance for first responders. The asker would likely need to ask again for specific information.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What the department is doing about ensuring that first responders receive consistent training and guidance on recognising adrenal crisis and administering emergency hydrocortisone without delay. | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply contains no substantive content of its own, only referrals to earlier answers on hydrocortisone injection availability and the NHS Steroid Emergency Card, plus a link to an NHS England patient safety alert on early recognition of adrenal crisis in adults. None of these explicitly describes training or guidance for first responders, so the item is at most touched on, not answered. |