Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to ensure that Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is available in all NHS Trusts in England.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) interventional procedures guidance on repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression, published in December 2015, found the procedure was safe and effective for use in the National Health Service, although the benefits vary among patients. There is no legal requirement for the National Health Service to implement this specific form of NICE’s guidance. While it is considered best clinical practice, NHS commissioners and providers are responsible for commissioning services to meet the needs of the local population.