§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will provide an estimate of the success rate in treating retinitis pigmentosa in the National Health Service.
§ Mr. MoyleNo specific treatment has been accepted by ophthalmologists in this country as effective in preventing, correcting or curing retinitis pigmentosa and none is therefore commonly practised under the National Health Service.
§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has concerning the number of National Health Service patients from the United Kingdom who have gone to Switzerland for treatment of retinitis pigmentosa at the Opos Eye Clinic, St. Gallen, Switzerland; and what account he is taking of these figures in his consideration concerning the provision of facilities under the National Health Service.
§ Mr. MoyleMy Department does not maintain records of the number of patients from the United Kingdom attending the Opos Eye Clinic in Switzerland for treatment of retinitis pigmentosa, but none has been referred there under the National Health Service.
§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether any evaluation has been done of the methods and success rate of the treatment for retinitis pigmentosa at the Opos 202W given below, are for current expenditure only, measure gross domestic product at market prices rather than at factor cost and make allowance for fluctuations in gross domestic product. They do not include expenditure on personal social services.
Eye Clinic, St. Galen, Switzerland; and whether these methods can be made available under the National Health Service.
§ Mr. MoyleThe treatment at the Opos Eye Clinic involves surgical implantation into the back of the eye of placental and other fetal tissue. The Medical Research Council working party has stated in its report that
There is no convincing evidence of improvement in vision following this treatment.In any individual case a consultant ophthalmologist may use this form of treatment under the National Health Service if he feels it is clinically necessary.