Petition · past parliament

Make Vertebral Body Tethering (VBT) available on the NHS.

Closed 793 signatures

What the petition asks

Currently in the UK the recognised NHS treatment for patients with severe scoliosis is a major operation known as spinal fusion.

Vertebral Body Tethering is an innovative and ground-breaking alternative surgery, which is only available in the UK via private funding and the costs are substantial.
VBT has advanced much more quickly in Germany and the USA. Recent developments include the procedure receiving approval by the FDA in America https://www.mddionline.com/fda-approval-sets-stage-helping-thousands-kids-scoliosis and acknowledgement by the British Scoliosis Society as a potential future treatment here in the UK
http://www.bsrf.co.uk/bsrf-research/vertebral-body-tethering-position-statement.

Timeline

19 Sep 2019 Petition opened for signatures
6 Nov 2019 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 793
Status Closed
Opened 19 Sep 2019
Closed 6 Nov 2019

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.