To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure equitable access to less invasive treatments for structural heart diseases throughout the regions of England.
Answered on
8 July 2019
The NHS England Specialised Cardiac Improvement Programme is working to streamline pathways for patients so they can access specialist teams able to offer advice on the full range of treatment options supported by evidence of effectiveness and long term patient outcomes.
NHS England Specialised Commissioning considers it is important that patients are aware of all treatment options and this includes access to less invasive treatments, where clinically appropriate. NHS England is currently considering less invasive interventions for structural heart disease as part of its 2019/20 clinical policy pipeline.