Asked by: Lord Bowness (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the eligibility criteria for a patient with multiple sclerosis to be prescribed Fampridine for a trial period; and what plans they have to fund ongoing treatment on terms similar to those in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland where such a trial shows an improvement in the patient’s mobility.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England published a clinical commissioning policy in July 2026 recommending prolonged-release fampridine as a routine commissioning treatment option for adults in England with multiple sclerosis (MS) and associated walking impairment who meet the defined eligibility criteria: those who score 4 to 7 on the Expanded Disability Status Scale.
Funding for prolonged-release fampridine is now available in England. NHS England began routinely commissioning the treatment from 16 July 2026 for eligible adults with multiple sclerosis and associated walking impairment who meet the policy criteria.
Asked by: Lord Bowness (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether funding is in place to meet the cost of ongoing treatment with Fampridine for patients with multiple sclerosis in England; and, if not, when will it be.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England published a clinical commissioning policy in July 2026 recommending prolonged-release fampridine as a routine commissioning treatment option for adults in England with multiple sclerosis (MS) and associated walking impairment who meet the defined eligibility criteria: those who score 4 to 7 on the Expanded Disability Status Scale.
Funding for prolonged-release fampridine is now available in England. NHS England began routinely commissioning the treatment from 16 July 2026 for eligible adults with multiple sclerosis and associated walking impairment who meet the policy criteria.
Asked by: Lord Bowness (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Bethell on 12 October (HL8659) and Lord True on 24 June (HL5754), which UK citizens will be entitled to a UK-issued European Health Insurance Card that remains valid for travel in the EU after 31 December.
Answered by Lord Bethell
From 1 January 2021, under the Withdrawal Agreement some groups will be entitled to a United Kingdom-issued European Health Insurance Card for travel in the European Union. These include:
- UK state pensioners living in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland at the end of the Transition Period;
- Individuals who are frontier workers at the end of the Transition Period, for as long as they continue to be covered by the Agreement; and
- EEA or Swiss nationals residing in the UK by the end of the Transition Period.
UK nationals already living in the EU who hold a member state EHIC may use this when accessing healthcare within the EU and UK.
For people not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, the future of reciprocal healthcare arrangements between the UK and EU are subject to negotiations, which are ongoing.
Asked by: Lord Bowness (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any agreement in principle has been reached on continuance of the European Health Insurance Card scheme for UK citizens visiting the EU after 31 December 2020.
Answered by Lord Bethell
From January 2021, people protected under the Withdrawal Agreement will continue to be entitled to a United Kingdom-issued European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). For those not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, their EHIC may not be valid from January 2021.
For people not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, the future of reciprocal healthcare arrangements between the UK and European Union are subject to negotiations, which are ongoing.
The UK has set out that it is ready to work to establish practical, reciprocal healthcare provisions with the EU for the future. The UK is open to arrangements that provide healthcare cover for tourists, short-term business visitors and service providers. These arrangements could benefit UK nationals and EU citizens travelling or moving between the UK.
Asked by: Lord Bowness (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will seek to preserve the mutual recognition of the European Health Insurance Card throughout the UK and EU in their negotiations to leave the EU.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
Nothing has yet been decided on whether the United Kingdom will seek to preserve the mutual recognition of the European Health Insurance Card after leaving the European Union. Officials in both the Department of Health and the Department for Exiting the European Union are considering the position and options available to us with the aim of achieving the best outcome for the UK health system and for the UK as a whole.