§ Mr. BaronTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate the Government have made of the number of people whose sight will be affected following the Government's decision to delay implementation of NICE's guidelines to make photo-dynamic therapy available to those suffering from age-related macular degeneration. [132691]
§ Ms Rosie Winterton[holding answer 20 October 2003]: We are not delaying implementation of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance on photo-dynamic therapy (PDT). Patients are already receiving PDT treatment on the national health service and will do so in increasing numbers in the coming months.
542WIn reviewing the final appraisal determination, the NICE Guidance Executive also considered whether there were grounds for advising the Department to vary the three-month direction. They considered there were grounds to do so on this occasion.
It was the Department's assessment, informed by evidence submitted to NICE, that the NHS would be unable to implement the guidance in full within the usual three-month period. We have previously varied the direction on five occasions when it was required to implement effectively the guidance to provide the service to patients.
The guidance issued to primary care trusts on PDT asks that PCTs should make funds available within nine months. We expect implementation to have been fully achieved within this time frame with all eligible patients having access to available treatment. PCTs may complete implementation earlier should their service planning enable them to do so.
Within the nine months allowed for full implementation, commissioners are expected to expand the service in a planned way to ensure there is sufficient capacity which is appropriately located to meet patient need, a fully trained workforce and access to expert diagnostic services. This will include the creation of new, and the expansion of existing, PDT centres and expert reading centres.