1VhUcwQP
type: Answer
type: WrittenAnswer
answer has question: C2gmHT8G
answer has answering person: lnhtzHcA
answer text: From 1 April 2013, NHS England became responsible for commissioning all Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) and Stereotactic Radiosurgery Radiotherapy (SRT) services. Brain tumour patients requiring such services may access treatment from any provider with whom NHS England holds a contract for provision of such a service. University College London Hospital does not hold such a contract. NHS England is undertaking a demand, and capacity review project for SRS and SRT for intracranial conditions. Until those capacity requirements are clear, NHS England has said it would be inappropriate to encourage new. market entrants to provide this service as it cannot be clear what the potential consequential impacts on service quality, sustainability (financial and clinical) and potential unintended changes to patient pathways will be. Until the review is complete no substantive changes will be made to the current provision. No one should expect to wait more than 18 weeks from the time they are referred to the start of their non-emergency consultant-led treatment, unless it is clinically appropriate to do so or they choose to wait longer. Where the 18 week waiting time has not been met, the relevant commissioner has a duty to take all reasonable steps to ensure that person is offered an appointment with a range of alternative providers where the patient requests this.
answer given date: 2013-10-28+00:00
answer has answering body: qjSEa2Ms
written answer has answering body: qjSEa2Ms