Policy number: SRP 094
Policy name: Spinal Cord Stimulators
Status: Not Funded
Effective date: 1 April 2024
Next review date: 1 April 2029
Mid and South Essex ICB does not fund spinal cord stimulator devices, consumables or associated services for any indication.
Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) is a form of therapeutic neuromodulation, defined by the International Neuromodulation Society as the alteration of nerve activity through targeted delivery of a stimulus, such as electrical stimulation or chemical agents, to specific neurological sites in the body.
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a treatment for chronic pain that is usually considered after standard treatments have failed. SCS modifies the perception of neuropathic and ischaemic pain by stimulating the dorsal column of the spinal cord.
SCS services are commissioned by NHS England.
Patients requiring spinal cord stimulators, including previously managed patients requiring e.g. battery changes, should be referred to an NHS England commissioned specialised pain centre.
References:
Spinal cord stimulation for chronic pain of neuropathic or ischaemic origin
NICE technology appraisal guidance [TA159] Published date: October 2008