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Written question asked by Laurence Robertson (Conservative) on Wednesday, 25 April 2018, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 30 April 2018 (named day). It was answered by Steve Brine (Conservative) on Monday, 30 April 2018 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Cerebral Palsy: Medical Treatments

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make available on the NHS, Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy procedures to reduce spasticity in lower limbs; and if he will make a statement.

Answer

NHS England does not currently routinely commission Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy surgery and published a policy in 2014 based on the clinical evidence available at that time, which did not demonstrate the benefits of surgery over and above other non-surgical treatment options (such as intensive physiotherapy).

However, given the continued clinical and patient interest in the procedure, NHS England invested in a Commissioning through Evaluation (CtE) scheme which has gathered new ‘real world’ evidence from 140 children undergoing surgery in selected centres in England. The interim results of this scheme, independently evaluated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, together with an updated review of the published evidence of clinical effectiveness, have been used to support the drafting of an updated policy proposition which will be considered as part of NHS England’s relative prioritisation process for investments in specialised care in May 2018.

If appropriate, there may also be an opportunity to further review the policy once the full evaluation is available from the CtE scheme in autumn 2018.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
137896
Session
2017-19
Subjects
NHS Medical treatments Cerebral palsy
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk