§ Lord Walton of Detchantasked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress has been made with their views of the commissioning of specialised services in the National Health Service and of the neurosurgery for Parkinson's Disease; and whether they are now in a 108WA position to implement their proposals relating to long-term service agreements and regional consortia. [HL4652]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathThe eight recently published Regional Specialised Commissioning Groups' Annual Reports for 1999–2000 show that good progress has been made, with longer term commissioning plans being put in place, service agreements being drawn up and regional consortia being established for many specialised services.
With regard to neurosurgical treatment for people with severe Parkinson's Disease, the National Specialist Commissioning Advisory Group (NSCAG) is to oversee an evaluation assessing the effectiveness of Deep Brain Stimulation compared to current best medical therapy. NSCAG will designate approved providers. A recognised research-funding body will support the evaluation, while the service itself will be commissioned via regional specialised commissioning arrangements.