WRITTEN QUESTION
Sir Bob Russell, Liberal Democrat MP for Colchester, tabled a question that asked the Health Secretary if he would publish the outcome of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence’s initial consultation on the use of balloon angioplasty as a treatment for chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency for those with myalgic encephalomyelitis; if he will make it his policy for this treatment to be provided by the national health service; and if he will make a statement.
On 11 June 2012, Minister for Care Services Paul Burstow replied:
The National Institute for Health and Clinical (NICE) has not issued any guidance on the use of balloon angioplasty for chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency for patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis and there are no plans for it to develop guidance on this topic.
NICE has issued interventional procedures guidance on percutaneous venoplasty for chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency for multiple sclerosis which includes the use of balloon angioplasty, which is available at:
http://publications.nice.org.uk/percutaneous-venoplasty-for-chronic-cerebrospinal-venous-insufficiency-for-multiple-sclerosis-ipg420
NICE considered that there was insufficient evidence to support the use of this procedure in the national health service and recommended that it should only be used in the context of research.