Health and Social care Committee

Access to medical technologies in Wales

MT ToR 13 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

 

 

CSP Wales Office

1 Cathedral Road

Cardiff CF11 9SD

029 2038 2429

www.csp.org.uk

Committee Clerk

Health and Social Care Committee

National Assembly for Wales

Cardiff Bay

CF99 1NA

 

October 2012

 

Dear Chair and Committee Members                                   

 

Health and Social Care Committee’s Scope for an Inquiry into Access to Medical Technologies in Wales.

 

General Introduction

 

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) in Wales is pleased to provide a written contribution to this stage of the inquiry. 

 

Physiotherapy is a profession which uses a range of medical technologies in the delivery of services and treatment modalities.

 

Key points from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

 

  1. The CSP considers it will be very important to define ‘medical technology’ carefully.  It can be very broad and take in a wide range of equipment, aids, appliances and instruments.  Information provided by Eucomed is useful in providing clarity. www.eucomed.org/medical-technology. This lack of clarity risks non engagement in the debate by potential interested stakeholders

 

  1. Within the definition, the committee will need to decide if they will look at only ‘treatments’ or if they will also look at ‘diagnostics’.  Medical technologies, in the widest sense include both but the letter from the Health and Social Care Committee inviting comments refers only to ‘effective new treatments’ and ‘medical technologies/treatments’.

 

  1. Eucomed highlights 4 categories of ‘devices’ – those used for the purpose of

·         Diagnosis, prevention, monitoring, treatment or alleviation of disease

·         Diagnosis, monitoring, treatment, alleviation of or compensation for an injury or handicap

·         Investigation, replacement or modification of the anatomy or a physiological process

·         Control of conception

They also highlight 12 categories of products, as determined by the Globa Medical Devices Nomenclature (GMDN) Agency.  The committee may wish to look at these to help determine which would be the most important categories to look at.  Alternatively, the committee might use this nomenclature to help define the range for inclusion so that medical technology can be looked at in its widest sense.

 

  1. The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy is particularly, though not exclusively, interested in:

·         respiratory technologies in relation to weaning patients from ventilators

·         electromechanical medical technology (for developing diagnostics) and electrotherapy treatment modalities such as transcutaneous nerve stimulation (TENS),

·         hospital hardware in relation to treatment beds and plinths for gym based physiotherapy

·         Non-active implantable technology in relation to advancing rehabilitation for joint replacement

·         Single use technology in relation to syringes and needles for injection therapy

·         Technical aids for disabled in relation to advances in wheelchair development, advances in adjuncts to walking (frames, functional electrical stimulation, prosthetics and orthotics).

 

  1. The committee may take the view that they have already carried out a scrutiny on wheelchair services so these should not be considered.  The CSP hopes that the opportunity to highlight continued or ongoing advances in medical technology in relation to wheelchairs will not be excluded.

 

  1. The CSP considers key evidence will be required from the health boards in relation to funding for new medical technology and the decision making process (including timescales) in organisations.

 

  1. Evidence will also be required from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Effectiveness (NICE) in relation to the Medical Technologies Evaluation Programme (MTEP). 

 

  1. Evidence will also be welcomed from the research community and partnerships across academia, health and social care where advances have been made.

 

  1. There would be value in engaging the independent sector to provide evidence on how it engages with the health service to introduce new technologies.  They will be able to provide experience on some of the barriers in terms of uptake.  Clinicians wanting to use medical technology will also provide feedback on this and the wider the remit of the scope, the greater the view of any potential barriers to effective new treatments or diagnostics.

 

  1. MediWales – the Welsh life science forum, which works closely with Welsh Government departments for business and health the NHS, academics and industry to ensure operations and policy in the Welsh life science sector reflects joined up, multidisciplinary thinking will be able to provide a range of evidence in relation to strategic policy, current appraisals and the decision making process.

 

Concluding comment

 

The CSP hopes the committee finds this contribution useful and looks forward to following the progress of the review.  If further information is required please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

In association with:

 

The CSP Welsh Board and the Welsh Physiotherapy Leaders Advisory Group

 

About the CSP and Physiotherapy

 

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy is the professional, educational and trade union body for the UK’s 50,000 chartered physiotherapists, physiotherapy students and support workers.  The CSP represents 2,000 members in Wales.

 

Physiotherapists use manual therapy, therapeutic exercise and rehabilitative approaches to restore, maintain and improve movement and activity.  Physiotherapists and their teams work with a wide range of population groups (including children, those of working age and older people); across sectors; and in hospital, community and workplace settings.  Physiotherapists facilitate early intervention, support self management and promote independence, helping to prevent episodes of ill health and disability developing into chronic conditions.

 

Physiotherapy delivers high quality, innovative services in accessible, responsive and timely ways.  It is founded on an increasingly strong evidence base, an evolving scope of practice, clinical leadership and person centred professionalism.  As an adaptable, engaged workforce, physiotherapy teams have the skills to address healthcare priorities, meet individual needs and to develop and deliver services in clinically and cost effective ways.  With a focus on quality and productivity, physiotherapy puts meeting patient and population needs, optimising clinical outcomes and the patient experience at the centre of all it does.

 

Philippa Ford MCSP

CSP Policy Officer for Wales

029 2038 2429

07990542436

fordp@csp.org.uk