Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the (a) proliferation of non-authorised, physician-modified products in the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms and (b) effect of those products on such aneurysms.

NHS England is not aware of a proliferation of physician-modified vascular devices and has not received any data that would support such a description.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service, and has been asked to develop a guideline on the diagnosis and management of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).

NICE’s guidance is based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and is developed through extensive engagement with stakeholders. NICE has not yet published its final guideline on AAA and has recently consulted publicly on its draft guideline. NICE has advised that its draft guideline makes no reference to ‘non-authorised’ products.

NICE is considering the comments received during the consultation period and expects to publish its final recommendations to the NHS in November 2018.