Reviewing Hyperbaric Oxygen Services

Overview

NHS England is consulting on Reviewing Hyperbaric Oxygen Services.

Please note, the closing date for this consultation has been extended to 16 March 2018.

NHS England is responsible for planning and buying a national HBOT service as part of the portfolio of specialised commissioning. HBOT is the delivery of oxygen at a pressure greater than normal (greater than 100 kPa) so that a higher level of oxygen can be dissolved in the patient's blood plasma. This takes place within a treatment chamber which may accommodate one or more patients and attendant staff.

It is the only treatment available for decompression illness, a condition that divers are at risk of developing.  Divers with suspected decompression illness need urgent access to HBOT.

It also has some other applications in treating a range of injuries, however there is not conclusive evidence of the efficacy of these applications, and the evidence for these are currently under review through the NHS England policy process.

NHS England believes that this service is currently over provided, at an unnecessary cost to tax payers, and therefore propose to reduce the number of commissioned providers from ten to eight.