Hansard

Yes, of course. I will say a bit more about that.

The other risks for DVT include pregnancy, age, underlying cancer, being on the pill or hormone replacement therapy and immobility. However, in most people's minds, as Trish Godman said, DVT is associated with long-distance travel. Inherited abnormalities of blood clotting can also predispose people to DVT. I will return to that later.

One of the ombudsman's main recommendations was that we should develop a standard information leaflet about DVT. NHS Quality Improvement Scotland therefore identified what it considered to be the best existing leaflet. An adapted version of it was issued to all NHS boards in January by the chief medical officer and the chairman of NHS QIS. A letter was sent to the chief executives of the boards, asking them to provide information on how they intended to adopt the standard leaflet, because it was clear from the boards' returns that the matter was a work in progress. NHS QIS is carrying out a follow-up exercise in November, as Margaret Curran said, and it will then provide another report to the chief medical officer. I am happy to keep members informed of progress in that regard.

We also commissioned Lifeblood to develop an information leaflet on DVT, which was mentioned earlier. That has been distributed to every GP practice in Scotland and I am happy to follow up some of the concerns that have been raised about whether that leaflet is being used in all practices. One of the main messages in both leaflets is that there is no definitive test for DVT. If people are in doubt, they are advised to go back to their local DVT clinic or accident and emergency department.

All that work has been undertaken on an interim basis, until SIGN completes its revision of its guideline 62, on the prevention of venous thromboembolism, or VTE. That work is well under way, and I am pleased that SIGN has included Gordon McPherson as a member of the guideline development group.

The motion refers to the possibility of establishing a screening regime. The United Kingdom National Screening Committee advises all four United Kingdom health departments and has considered proposals for the introduction of a population screening programme for thrombophilia. The discussion centres on a genetic abnormality called factor V Leiden, which has been shown to increase susceptibility to DVT and affects about 5 per cent of the population. However, it is important to realise that a positive test for that gene does not mean that a person will go on to develop VTE, and doctors would not offer any preventive treatment in those circumstances.

We have therefore accepted the national screening committee's advice that it would be inappropriate to introduce population screening for VTE. That has nothing to do with cost; it reflects a lack of evidence to justify introducing such a programme. Government action has to be evidence based.