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Decision Report 201700584

  • Case ref:
    201700584
  • Date:
    May 2018
  • Body:
    Lothian NHS Board - Acute Division
  • Sector:
    Health
  • Outcome:
    Not upheld, no recommendations
  • Subject:
    clinical treatment / diagnosis

Summary

Mr C complained that the board unreasonably refused to support an out of area referral for a specialist neurosurgical assessment of his chronic migraines. Mr C suffered from chronic migraines for a number of years and had explored non-surgical treatment options but they did not help his situation. He wished to receive a professional opinion on surgical treatment options including occipital nerve stimulation (a procedure where a surgical implant is inserted near the occipital nerve - a nerve in the brain - which can be controlled by the patient to deliver electrical impulses with the aim of masking pain). However, this treatment is not available in Scotland. Mr C saw a consultant neurologist (a doctor who specialises in the brain and nervous system) in another Scottish health board area, who wrote a referral to a specialist centre in England. However, Mr C's consultant neurologist at his local board refused to support such a referral and funding was not approved. The board's view was that there was not a good evidence base for such interventions for patients with migraine. Mr C was unhappy with this response and brought his complaint to us.

We took independent advice from a professor of neurology with specialist expertise in headache disorders. We found that the board's decision was reasonable and was consistent with relevant guidance. Therefore, we did not uphold this complaint.

Updated: December 2, 2018