§ Dr. GibsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to reduce the number of age-related macular degeneration patients eligible for treatment(a) losing sight and (b) registering blind owing to a lack of regional availability of visudyne; [30715]
(2)what discussions his Department has held with representatives of (a) general practitioners, (b) primary care trusts, (c) health authorities and (d) ophthalmologists to discuss (i) the speed of referral for age-related macular degeneration patients eligible for treatment and (ii) the shortening of the treatment process; [30716]
(3)if he will issue guidance to primary care trusts on treatable age-related macular degeneration to increase referral speed to an ophthalmologist and the shortening of the treatment process; [30717]
(4)what plans he has to include screening for wet age-related macular degeneration as part of the regular sight test for the relevant age groups. [30718]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 28 January 2002]: Research trials suggest that photodynamic therapy may be capable of arresting sight loss among certain patients with 'wet' age-related macular degeneration. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence is currently undertaking an appraisal of this treatment and will advise if it should be made generally available under the national health service. The NICE Appraisal Committee will meet on 7 March 2002 to produce draft guidance. The Appraisal Committee is to have a second meeting on 15 May and guidance to the NHS is expected in July 2002, providing there are no appeals.
The Department has asked NHS bodies to continue with local arrangements for the managed introduction of new technologies where guidance from NICE is not available at the time the technology first became available. These arrangements should involve an assessment of all relevant factors including the available evidence on effect.
We will consider any implications for primary and secondary eye care in the light of NICE'S draft guidance.
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§ Dr. GibsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the number of patients with age-related macular degeneration eligible for treatment who have(a) lost eye sight and (b) been registered blind since visudyne received regulatory approval; [30714]
(2)how many patients are eligible for photodynamic treatment for (a) wet and (b) dry age-related macular degeneration annually; [30719]
(3)what estimates he has made of the number of age-related macular degeneration patients eligible for treatment who have lost the sight of one eye before they visit an ophthalmologist. [30721]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 28 January 2002]: We are unable to estimate how many patients may benefit from photodynamic therapy until the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has completed its appraisal of the therapy. NICE'S guidance is expected in July 2002.
§ Dr. GibsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were treated with photodynamic treatment for(a) wet and (b) dry age-related macular degeneration in the (i) NHS and (ii) private sector in the last year for which figures are available. [30720]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 28 January 2002]: In 2000–01 there were 3,317 finished consultant episodes coded "degeneration of macular and posterior pole" in the national health service. Currently it is generally accepted that only 'wet' macular degeneration is susceptible to treatment but we do not hold information on the extent of the use of visudyne in these treatments. The Department does not routinely collect information on operations carried out in the private sector.