Treatment policies

A list of treatments routinely and not routinely funded by NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly. Read our commissioning policy (PDF, 1.1 MB).

A

A

Not routinely commissioned:

  • Abdominoplasty or apronectomy.
  • Aesthetic surgery.
  • Arm lift.

Commissioned but criteria applies

  • Adenoidectomy.
  • Alfa pumps for the removal of ascites due to liver disease.
  • Annual MRI breast screening.
  • Artificial urinary sphincters (AUS) for post-prostatectomy incontinence.
  • Assisted conception (includes IVF).
B

B

Not routinely commissioned

  • Benign skin lesions.
  • Botox injection for the ageing face.
  • Breast: asymmetry
  • augmentation
  • implants (removal and replacement)
  • lift (mastopexy)
  • reduction
  • Brow lift.
  • Buttock lift.

Commissioned but criteria applies

  • Blepharoplasty.
  • Bunion surgery (hallux valgus).
C

C

Not routinely commissioned

  • Complementary medicines or therapies.
  • Congenital ear deformity correction surgery including pinnaplasty.
  • Correction of chest wall deformity for cosmetic purposes.
  • Cosmetic genital procedures.

Commissioned but criteria applies

  • Carpal tunnel syndrome release.
  • Cataract surgery.
  • Circumcision.
  • Cholecystectomy.
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalomyelitis referral for treatment.
  • Closure of patent foramen ovale for migraine.
  • Complex and specialised metabolic and bariatric surgery.
  • Congenital vascular lesions.
  • Continuous glucose monitors.
  • Continuous positive airway pressure (obstructive sleep apnoea or hypopnoea syndrome).
  • Cystoscopy for men with uncomplicated lower urinary tract symptoms.
D

D

Not routinely commissioned

  • Dermabrasion of skin.
  • Dermatology (acne and psoriasis).
  • Dilatation and curettage for heavy menstrual bleeding in women.

Commissioned but criteria applies

  • Desensitising light therapy in the management of severe polymorphic light eruption.
  • Direct access DXA scanning to help target treatment in adults at potential risk of osteoporotic (fragility) fracture.
  • Divarication of recti.
  • Dupuytren’s contracture release in adults.
E

E

Not routinely commissioned

  • Elective caesarean section for non-clinical reasons.
  • Enhanced external counter-pulsation for patients with severe ischaemic heart disease.
  • Extracorporeal shockwave therapy.

Commissioned but criteria applies

  • Ear wax (removal in secondary care).
  • Epididymal cysts.
  • Excision of acromio-clavicular joint or arthroscopic surgical decompression of sub-acromial shoulder pain.
  • Exogen ultrasound bone healing system.
F

F

Not routinely commissioned

  • Face or brow lift.

Commissioned but criteria applies

  • Female sterilisation.
  • Flash glucose monitors.
  • Functional electrical stimulator (skin surface applied) to correct foot drop of central neurological origin.
G

G

Not routinely commissioned

  • Gynaecomastia.

Commissioned but criteria applies

  • Gallstones.
  • Ganglion excision.
  • Grommets (insertion of).
H

H

Not routinely commissioned

  • Hair depilation (hair removal).
  • Hair grafting (male pattern baldness).
  • Hymenorrhaphy.
  • Hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
  • Hyperhidrosis treatment.

Commissioned but criteria applies

  • Haemorrhoidectomy.
  • Hallux valgus (bunion surgery).
  • Hernia management and repair in adults.
  • Hip impingement syndrome.
  • Hydroceles in males.
  • Hysterectomy for heavy menstrual bleeding.
I

I

Not routinely commissioned

  • Inverted nipple correction.

Commissioned but criteria applies

  • Insertion of grommets.
K

K

Commissioned but criteria applies

  • Knee arthroscopy:
    • diagnostic and therapeutic.
    • for patients with osteoarthritis.
L

L

Not routinely commissioned

  • Labiaplasty.
  • Laser hair removal for pilonidal disease.
  • Laser surgery for short sight (myopia).
  • Liposuction.

Commissioned but criteria applies

  • Laparoscopic ventral rectopexy and STARR.
  • Laryngeal or voice box surgery.
M

M

Not routinely commissioned

  • Male breast reduction surgery for gynaecomastia.
  • Mastopexy.
  • Multifocal intraocular lenses in treatment of adults with cataracts.
  • Multiple chemical sensitivity and clinical ecology and environmental medicine.

Commissioned but criteria applies

  • Male sterilisation (vasectomy).
  • Meibomian cysts (chalazia) removal.
  • Mirena coils.
  • Musculoskeletal corticosteroids injection.
O

O

Commissioned but criteria applies

  • One-step nucleic acid amplification (intra-operative diagnostic method for detecting metastasis in breast cancer).
  • Open magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning.
P

P

Not routinely commissioned

  • Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation for urinary incontinence.
  • Pinnaplasty.

Commissioned but criteria applies

  • Paediatric speech and language therapy in secondary care.
  • Polysomnography for children.
  • Population screening outside of national screening committee guidelines.
R

R

Not routinely commissioned

  • Removal of tattoos.
  • Repair of lobe of external ear (split earlobes).
  • Resurfacing procedures: dermabrasion, chemical peels and laser treatment.
  • Reversal of sterilisation:
    • female
    • male
  • Rhinoplasty.
  • Routine doppler ultrasound of umbilical and uterine artery in antenatal care.

Commissioned but criteria applies

  • Radiofrequency ablation for Barrett’s oesophagus.
  • Radiofrequency denervation.
  • Raised intraocular pressure.
  • Removal of ear wax in secondary care.
  • Replacement hearing aid.
  • Revisional metabolic and bariatric surgery.
  • Revision mammoplasty (including prosthesis removal or replacement).
S

S

Not routinely commissioned.

  • Scars and keloids.
  • Septorhinoplasty.
  • Shave or surgical rhinophyma.
  • Snoring in the absence of obstructive sleep apnoea.

Commissioned but criteria applies

  • Single embryo transfer.
  • Skin camouflage services.
  • Skin surface applied functional electrical stimulation for an orthotic effect to correct foot drop of central neurological origin.
  • Sperm washing.
  • Spinal:
    • cord stimulation for chronic pain
    • fusion for chronic non-specific low back pain
    • injections for sciatica
  • SpyGlass direct visualisation cholangioscopy in complex hepatopancreatic biliary disease.
  • Surgical:
    • correction of strabismus or amblyopia in adults
    • intervention for chronic rhinosinusitis
    • intervention for benign prostatic hyperplasia
    • removal of kidney stone
T

T

Not routinely commissioned

  • Testicular prosthesis.
  • Thigh lift, buttock lift and arm lift, excision of redundant skin or fat.

Commissioned but criteria applies

  • Tongue tie division.
  • Tonsillectomy for recurrent tonsillitis.
  • Trigger finger release in adults.
V

V

Not routinely commissioned

  • Vaginoplasty.
  • Venous angioplasty for multiple sclerosis.

Commissioned but criteria applies

  • Varicose veins.
  • Vasectomy.
  • Vitreous floaters.

Page last reviewed: 27 July 2022

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