Essential Tremor: Medical Treatments

(asked on 24th November 2017) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure patients suffering from essential tremor have access to the latest treatments on the NHS.


Answered by
Steve Brine Portrait
Steve Brine
This question was answered on 4th December 2017

Common treatments for essential tremor include medications such as beta blockers, anti-epileptic drugs and sedatives. Injections of botulinum toxin may also be considered, as may surgery, but these approaches to treatment are less common. It is the responsibility of clinicians, in discussion with patients, to agree the most appropriate course of treatment, taking into account a patient’s medical history, and their individual circumstances and preferences.

New treatments may be brought into routine use in the National Health Service after their safety, efficacy and cost-effectiveness have been appropriately demonstrated. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) was established as the independent expert body responsible for developing robust, evidence based guidance for the NHS. NICE is currently developing guidance on the use of an intervention involving focused ultrasound to treat essential tremor. More information can be found at following link:

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ipg10053

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