Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the use of innovative medical technology in the treatment of glaucoma.

The Government recognises that innovation is crucial to drive improvements in clinical care and improved outcomes for people living with sight-threatening conditions. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services to meet local needs. In making commissioning decisions, we would expect ICBs to take into account the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on the diagnosis and management of glaucoma which NICE keeps under review, to ensure that it reflects developments in medical technology and clinical practice.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England, and this includes independent sector providers. CQC monitors, inspects and regulates services and publish what it finds. Where CQC finds poor care, it can use its enforcement powers to take action. This sits alongside guidance issued by NICE for the treatment of glaucoma and any professional standards issued by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, which we would expect National Health Service commissioners to have regard to when commissioning services from the independent sector.

NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time Programme is also working with providers across the country to reduce unwarranted variation in care across a range of eyecare subspecialties, including glaucoma.