To ask the Secretary of State for Health what factors his Department has identified as increasing the likelihood of patients in intensive care not receiving treatment for pain; and what steps he is taking to reduce the number of such patients with untreated pain. (284585)

It is the responsibility of all national health service trusts and independent sector hospitals that provide intensive care services to ensure, through their clinical governance arrangements, that the pain that may be experienced by critically ill patients is managed appropriately, effectively and sensitively.

Consistent with their professional discipline and grade, all clinicians working in intensive care locations are expected, to be trained and competent in the delivery of strategies to minimize the incidence of pain. All critical care services should be led by doctors with specialist training in intensive care medicine and it is recommended that all medical consultants in intensive care medicine should possess the relevant competencies recommended by the Royal Colleges and the Intensive Care Society. These include the management of pain and pain relieving strategies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of patients in intensive care units reported experiencing untreated pain during a hospital stay in each of the last five years. (284586)

This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.