To ask the Minister of Health whether his Department has issued any guidance to General Practitioners on the threshold for testing for coeliac disease, in the last five years.

While guidance on when to test for coeliac disease is in place and available to General Practitioners, it is derived from NICE and other UKwide clinical guidance, endorsed for use in Northern Ireland, rather than from new Departmentspecific guidance issued in the past five years.

Clinical guidance on the diagnosis and testing of coeliac disease, including the threshold for testing in primary care, is provided through nationally recognised guidance rather than through separate, Northern Irelandspecific Departmental publications.

NICE guideline NG20, on the recognition and assessment of coeliac disease, sets out the circumstances in which testing should be offered or considered in primary care. This effectively is the threshold for testing. It recommends that GPs should offer serological testing to patients with a range of symptoms or risk factors and can be viewed here: Overview | Coeliac disease: recognition, assessment and management | Guidance | NICE

NICE guidance also recommends that testing should be considered in patients presenting with other clinical symptoms such as unexplained neurological symptoms, unexplained subfertility, or reduced bone mineral density, reflecting a relatively low threshold for testing in primary care.

Within the last five years, the Department of Health has not issued guidance specifically to General Practitioners in Northern Ireland which would alter or supplement the thresholds described above. Instead, the approach has been to continue to rely on established UKwide clinical guidance and professional standards and ensure GPs are aware of these up-to-date guidelines.

There are a number of initiatives in place to ensure easier access to learning and development resources for GPs and practice teams. For example, GPNI was set up during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide clear and consistent communication for those working in GP primary care. Since then, it has grown into a widely used regional platform, offering a website and regular webinars to share up to date information and primary care specific guidance and resources.

Practice-Based Learning (PBL) is another important element. It provides structured learning sessions and helps ensure that GPs and their teams have protected time for education and development. Although it was originally developed by the former Health and Social Care Board (HSCB), since March 2020 it has been commissioned by my Department and delivered through GP Federations. It continues to offer a practical and cost-effective way to support learning for GPs, nurses and the wider practice team.