AQW 26676/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 07/05/2025
Answered On Date: 22/05/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to outline what work has been done to cost the provision of a facial palsy in-reach service.

Answer:

On average 3-5 patients are assessed as suitable for Facial Palsy surgery per annum in Northern Ireland. These referrals are managed through the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust as part of a Network arrangement with a specialist provider in Great Britain. This activity represents a very small component of the Facial Palsy care pathway as the majority of patients are managed locally across all Trusts and supported by colleagues from Primary care.

In-reach services are provided as part of the total commissioning arrangement for Plastic Surgery Services in South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust.

Most of the facial palsy assessment and treatment is provided locally, through the local hospital specialties. For those patients requiring specialist surgical/botox treatment, SPPG send most of these patients to the UK via an Extra Contractual (ECR) Arrangement.