Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential efficiency savings that could be generated through the use of minimally invasive procedures supported by interventional radiology (Image-guided surgery).

Specialised Commissioning commissions services that utilise interventional radiology (IR), these include specialised cardiac, hepatology, vascular and cancer services. Where reviews of services are undertaken there is scope to consider comparison between IR and other surgical techniques.

NHS England has received the report produced by the Medical Technology Group, ‘Keeping Britain Working: How medical technology can help reduce the cost of ill health to the UK economy’, outlining case studies with the potential to deliver efficiency savings and these have been shared with the relevant commissioning bodies.