Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of NHS specialist pathways for patients with cluster headaches; and what steps he is taking to improve access to clinicians with appropriate expertise, including where patients require specialist treatment outside their local area.

Headaches in over 12s: diagnosis and management (CG150), published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and last updated in June 2025, sets out recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of cluster headaches.

CG150 recommends referral for specialist assessment where appropriate, and that appropriate access to home and portable oxygen therapy may be provided for patients with cluster headaches, according to individual clinical assessment and need.

Building on NICE guidance, regional National Health Service home oxygen service specifications provide a framework for commissioners and suppliers to ensure the provision of oxygen therapy for people with cluster headaches is clinically appropriate and responsive to individual need.

Commissioners and providers are expected to take this guidance into account when planning and delivering services. Patients whose clinical needs cannot be met locally may be referred to specialist centres, including those outside their local area, where appropriate.

Through its neurology workstream, the Getting It Right First Time Programme is also supporting more consistent and effective neurological services, helping to improve access to specialist expertise for patients with conditions such as cluster headaches.