Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made by NHS England on the production of a commissioning policy for treatments associated with hidradenitis suppurativa; what the proposed scope of that policy is; and when he expects that policy to have been fully developed.

NHS England works in partnership with local commissioners and providers to ensure people with long-term conditions, such as hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), are supported to live healthily and independently and are empowered to take better control over the care they receive.

The majority of patients with HS can be managed through routine access to primary and secondary care, including dermatology clinics, which is responsibility of the local National Health Service commissioners. Treatment and management of the condition involves antibiotics, antiseptic washes and immunosuppressive treatments such as steroids or ciclosporin, which a general practitioner may prescribe.

For those patients with the more serious forms of HS, referral to a specialised dermatology service may be appropriate. NHS England commissions services for people with rare and complex skin conditions, including HS, and has set out what providers must have in place in order to offer specialist dermatology care. This supports equity of access to a high quality service for patients wherever they live. These services may provide more intensive therapies with the involvement of a range of health and care professionals, subject to a patient’s needs. More information can be found by viewing the specialised dermatology service specification at the following link:

www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/a12-spec-dermatology.pdf