HL Deb 23 October 2003 vol 653 c193WA
Lord Ashley

of Stoke asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why the Department of Health sent guidance to hospitals and primary care trusts saying that they did not have to find money for photodynamic therapy for nine months; and [HL4641]

What is their assessment of the claim that thousands of people with age-related macular degeneration will go blind if photodynamic therapy is not available for nine months. [HL4643]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner)

In reviewing the final appraisal determination, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence's guidance executive also considered whether there were grounds for advising the Department of Health to vary the three-month direction. It considered there were grounds to do so on this occasion.

We are not delaying implementation of the NICE guidance on photodynamic therapy (PDT) for nine months. Patients are already receiving PDT treatment on the National Health Service and will do so in increasing numbers in the coming months.

It was the department's assessment, informed by advice from 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 (PCTs) on PDT asks that PCTs should make funds available within nine months. We expect implementation to have been fully achieved within this timeframe 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.