Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress NHS England has made to commission MR-guided focused ultrasound for patients with essential tremor.

NHS England is part way through the process of developing a clinical commissioning policy for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) for treating essential tremor. Stakeholder engagement will be taking place in the next few weeks. If there is a need for additional investment to support the introduction of this new service this will be considered in the next relative prioritisation round, alongside other interventions requiring new investment.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published interventional procedure guidance on the use of MRgFUS as a treatment for essential tremor in June 2018. A copy of Unilateral MRI-guided focused ultrasound thalamotomy for treatment-resistant essential tremor is attached.