the Guardian Advises on NHS Varicose Vein Treatment

A feature in The Guardian explains how many conditions including varicose veins as well as cysts, ganglia, moles and heavy periods are no longer funded on the NHS.

“Local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) call the shots nowadays, deciding which of the procedures of limited clinical effectiveness (PoLCE) or procedures of limited clinical value (PoLCV) are available.

“There is no single list across the NHS; each CCG makes its own decisions about whom GPs can refer and what is and isn’t considered to be routine care. The rationale is that it’s wasteful and unjustifiable to fund treatments that don’t have a sound evidence base or are solely cosmetic.

“One stipulation, though, is that failing to fund the treatment must not cause significant harm to a person’s mental or physical health.”

NHS Varicose Veins

The Guardian states that before referral, NHS patients will first be advised to try practical measures to relieve varicose veins:

• compression stockings
• exercise/walking
• raising the feet a few times a day

Even though NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guidelines recommend referral and treatment without needing to wait for serious, late complications; in practice, NHS referral is usually funded only in cases with:

• severe discomfort means you can’t stand at work or sleep at night
• ulceration/bleeding

Read more in The Guardian.

Varicose Vein Treatment

Cosmedics Skin Clinics offer private varicose vein treatment and see many patients who have been refused treatment on the NHS.

Their London Vein Treatment Centre offers EVLA (endovenous laser ablation) laser varicose vein removal with a vascular surgeon with prices starting at £1,650 per leg (1 vein).

They also offer foam sclerotherapy and micro surgery in order to provide a tailor-made service with the most appropriate treatment for each individual.

For more information or to book a consultation, please complete the form on this web page or call 020 7386 0464.