Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation in treating (1) alcoholism, (2) problem gambling, (3) depression, and (4) substance disorders.

The Department has made no such assessment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published interventional procedures guidance on repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression (IPG542) in December 2015. A copy of this guidance is attached.

NICE found that the procedure showed no major safety concerns and the evidence on its efficacy in the short term was adequate, although the benefits vary for different people. NICE interventional procedures guidance does not consider clinical and cost effectiveness and funding decisions are made by local National Health Service commissioners.