Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of (a) the number of providers required, (b) the timescale for delivery and (c) the procurement policy required to implement the NHSE commissioning policy for transcranial Magnetic Resonance Guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) for the treatment of medication refractory ET; and if he will make a statement.

Significant progress has been made in the delivery of the commissioning policy for transcranial Magnetic Resonance Guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS), published in November 2020 and effective from 1 April 2021.

MRgFUS is used in the treatment of medication refractory essential tremor. It has been estimated that there will be approximately 150 cases a year which, in the first instance, will require two centres to meet the needs of the population of England. A centre at Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust in London has already been identified and it is intended that this service will commence in May.

A second centre in the North of England will be required and discussions are ongoing with commissioners about its possible location. It is envisaged that there will need to be a formalised provider selection process given the number of expressions of interest received. Cross-border discussions have taken place with the devolved authorities in Scotland as to the feasibility of a third centre being commissioned in Scotland, and these discussions continue.