Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients with scoliosis were operated on in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

The Ministers of the Department of Health have had no meetings with their European Union counterparts about treatment strategies for scoliosis.

Scoliosis is the abnormal curvature of the spine to the sides but is not considered a disease and does not always require treatment. However, for those in which the condition causes a long-term problem, the Department in its mandate to NHS England sets out plans to enhance the quality of life for all patients with a long-term condition, including those affected by scoliosis.

In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidance in June 2014 which states that the ‘Magnetic Expansion Control System should be considered for children aged 2 and over with scoliosis, who need surgery to correct their curved spine’.

Information concerning the number of finished consultant episodes for patients with a primary diagnosis of scoliosis in the last five years is attached. It should be noted that these figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. Data also capture a small number of no-surgical interventions, such as drug treatments.

The cost of treating a patient aged 19 years and over with scoliosis or other spinal deformity in one episode of care under a consultant is £1,368. This is the national average unit cost reported by NHS trusts and foundation trusts in 2012-13 reference costs submitted to the Department. This national average unit cost varies from £924 for patients with the lowest level of complications and comorbidities to £2,412 for patients with the highest level of complications and comorbidities.