To ask the Minister of Health to detail the availability of scalp cooling for patients in receipt of certain types of chemotherapy, in each Health and Social Care Trust.

Scalp cooling treatments are not currently commissioned within Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland, and are not part of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended care pathway for managing hair loss during chemotherapy. The routine commissioning of this treatment can only be considered based on the long-term evidence of efficacy, available funding and the relative priority of this service in the context of other service development proposals and the overall financial position.

My Department’s position can be reviewed if new or updated NICE recommendations emerge that support scalp cooling for cancer patients.

I remain committed to aligning our commissioning approach with the strongest available evidence and national guidance as it develops.