DEMAND VALVE OXYGEN - WE NEED YOUR HELP

Dear Member

 

We need your help and support to ensure that demand valve oxygen therapy, a cause close to the heart of our late chairman, Mike Pollock,  becomes a standard oxygen therapy for cluster headache.  This is a very fast-acting, safe and cost efficient method of oxygen therapy, using a mouthpiece similar to that used in entinox therapy.  The demand valve opens as you inhale and shuts off the oxygen as you exhale; it is not blasting out at 15 litres a minute all the time.  A cylinder can last several times longer using DVO as opposed to the standard high flow oxygen.  

 

At the present time the DVO is approved for NHS prescription, but as it is termed an optional to the oxygen supply contract, the oxygen supply company do not have to supply them.  BUT, if a particular piece of equipment, or a mask or supply device is mentioned in the oxygen supply contract tender, then it MUST be supplied.   

 

You can find a draft letter to your MP/ICB and the attachments mentioned within listed below in the Attachments section.  

 

You can find the name of your MP at ukpolitical.info/Finder.htm.  

 

Your ICB can be found here: england.nhs.uk/icb-details.  

 

For Wales, wales.nhs.uk/ourservices/directory/LocalHealthBoards.

 

We want to ensure that Mike Pollock's legacy of fast, safe and cost efficient treatment becomes the accepted licensed and approved method of oxygen therapy for cluster headache and we need your help to do make sure that it is specifically mentioned in all future oxygen supply contract tenders.