AQW 26632/22-27
Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast
Tabled Date: 06/05/2025
Answered On Date: 13/05/2025
Priority Written: Yes
Question:
To ask the Minister of Health when the final report of the working group formed to review scalp cooling will be published, given the urgent need for this service among cancer survivors.
Answer:
No working group has been formed to review scalp cooling. Cold caps/scalp cooling treatment are not routinely commissioned in Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland. I am advised that they are not part of the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended care pathway for treatment of chemotherapy/Systemic anti-cancer therapy (SACT) induced 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 pressures and service development proposals, and the overall HSC financial position. The commissioning position on Scalp Cooling can be reviewed on receipt of any emerging NICE recommendations for cancer patients. The NI Cancer Network (NICaN) SACT Clinical Reference Group, comprising regional and multi-professional members, reviewed the literature and evidence base in January 2018 and again in April 2022. Besides efficacy concerns, scalp cooling treatment alongside SACT would significantly impact SACT chair time. Given the current system pressures to meet demand and deliver essential SACT services across all units in Northern Ireland, the group consensus was not to prioritise the introduction of Scalp Cooling over other SACT treatment needs at this time. The group continues to review any new scalp cooling evidence as it emerges.
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