Health written question – answered at on 18 March 2014.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health
(1) what discussions he has had with medical authorities on the use of electrical current to treat brain injuries;
(2) what his Department's policy is on the use of electrical current as a medical treatment in the NHS.
Ministers have had no discussions with medical authorities on the use of electrical current to treat brain injuries.
There are a wide range of applications on the use of electricity as part of medical treatment in the national health service. Examples of these can include:
deep brain stimulation in the treatment of some movement disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, dystonia and tremor; using percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation to treat difficult-to-treat neuropathic pain; and irreversible electroporation for the treatment of liver, pancreatic, renal, and lung cancers.
It is the responsibility of a treating clinician to use their clinical judgement, supported by relevant guidance/when discussing appropriate treatments with their patient, taking into account safety, and clinical and cost effectiveness.
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