To ask the Minister of Health whether his Department has any plans to review adherence to current guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on cardiovascular disease and heart attacks, with a view to identify sex-specific disparities.

National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is considered to be best practice in Northern Ireland and my Department maintains a formal link with the Institute. NICE Guidelines are implemented within Health and Social Care (HSC) Trusts in line with Department of Health Circular HSC (SQSD) 13/22. My Department is monitoring the Trusts’ adherence to these guidelines. As the current NICE Guidelines pertaining to cardiovascular disease and heart attacks do not identify sex-specific disparities to the extent which would require an adherence review, my Department has no plans for such review.