Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he made of the use of dopamine agonists as a first-line treatment for restless legs syndrome (RLS) before the NICE guidance was updated in February 2025; and what steps he is taking to ensure that people with RLS receive effective treatment.

No assessment has been made. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has not developed any guidelines on the diagnosis and/or management of restless leg syndrome (RLS) but has commissioned a Clinical Knowledge Summary (CKS) on the diagnosis and clinical management of RLS, which was updated in February 2025, and which can be used as a source of information for healthcare professionals. This CKS is available at the following link:

https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/restless-legs-syndrome/

Licensed dopamine agonist medicines that are indicated for the treatment of RLS are ropinirole, pramipexole, and rotigotine. Decisions about what medicines to prescribe are made by healthcare professionals and National Health Service commissioners, based on an assessment of the available evidence, taking into account national guidance and advice, such as CKS’.