Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will ask NHS England to reconsider a commissioning policy on (a) microprocessor knees, (b) muti-articulating prosthetic hands and (c) custom made silicon covers.

NHS England has informed us that it has established a Prosthetics subgroup which reports to the Complex Disability Equipment Clinical Reference Group. This sub-group consists of patients, their representatives, clinicians and representatives from the professional bodies and the prosthetics industry. This sub-group has focussed on various aspects relating to the service model which are reflected in the revised Prosthetics Service specification published on the NHS England website earlier this year.

The subgroup have also developed draft clinical commissioning policies for microprocessor prosthetic knees and multi grip upper arm prostheses but recognise the need to undertake more work on strengthening the clinical evidence and the links with potential to benefit. The further work required to strengthen the evidence for the draft policies should be complete by the autumn of this year.

These draft policies can be found at:

http://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/spec-services/npc-crg/group-d/d01/