AQW 25075/22-27

Ms Kate Nicholl
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 26/03/2025
Answered On Date: 07/04/2025
Priority Written: Yes

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail any consideration he has given to the introduction of scalp cooling treatments to support those with chemotherapy-induced alopecia.

Answer:

Cold caps/scalp cooling treatments are not routinely commissioned in HSC (NI). I am advised that they are not part of the NICE recommended care pathway for treatment of chemotherapy/SACT-induced alopecia hair loss. The routine commissioning of this treatment can only be considered based on the long-term evidence of efficacy, available funding and the relative priority of this service in the context of other service development proposals and the overall HSC financial position.

The commissioning position on Scalp Cooling can be reviewed on receipt of UK evidence review and provided this is in line with NICE recommendations for cancer patients.