Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much has been spent on NHS England's commissioning policy for the treatment of cirrhosis in adults with hepatitis C.
Answered by Jane Ellison
NHS England is not in a position to confirm spend to date on the treatment of cirrhosis in adults with hepatitis C. The overall spend will be impacted by the commercial in confidence agreements that are in place with a number of pharmaceutical companies as well as confirmation that patients treated have completed their course. NHS England will be in a position to confirm overall spend on hepatitis C as a result of the commissioning policy and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance at the end of the financial year.
Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients have started treatment under NHS England's commissioning policy for the treatment of cirrhosis in adults with hepatitis C.
Answered by Jane Ellison
At 10 November 2015, NHS England had received 2,667 applications to treat from clinicians. Applications relate to patients who either meet NHS England’s commissioning policy for the treatment of hepatitis C patients with cirrhosis or who meet the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Technology Appraisal guidance for sofosbuvir and simeprevir. The number of applications is likely to be slightly higher than the number starting treatment, as some patients may have decided not to proceed. NHS England expects to have an automated system in place by April 2016 to collect data on treatment referrals and treatment history, including clinical outcome data.
Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding is earmarked to support treatment for hepatitis C in 2016.
Answered by Jane Ellison
NHS England is in the process of finalising allocations for its commissioning functions. A budget for hepatitis C will be set as part of the overarching 2016/17 planning process for specialised commissioning. This will be done in line with the national planning guidance and timetable which is due to be announced shortly.
Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate NHS England has made of how many patients will commence treatment for hepatitis C in 2016.
Answered by Jane Ellison
NHS England and the 22 Operational Delivery Networks are working together to discuss the implications for planned treatment during 2016/17 of the recently published National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Technology Appraisals for three new oral treatments (Sofosbuvir + Ledispasvir; Daclatasvir; Paritaprevi/ritonavir/ Ombitasvir+/-dasabuvir).
These appraisals recommend access (depending on hepatitis C genotype and cirrhosis status) for patients where treatment and prescribing decisions are made by multidisciplinary teams in the operational delivery networks, and where patients have been prioritised for treatment based on highest unmet clinical need. This work will continue over the next two months and we will have a better idea of the number of patients later this financial year.
Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes to local government funding on the delivery of the National Dementia Strategy.
Answered by Jane Ellison
On 21 February 2015, the Prime Minister launched his new Challenge on Dementia 2020, which builds on the achievements of the Prime Minister’s challenge on dementia 2012-2015. It sets out the vision for dementia care, support, awareness and research to be transformed by 2020.
Local authorities as well as clinical commissioning groups are responsible for funding and commissioning services based on their local population's needs and ensuring that the services they secure provide the best quality for local people.
As part of the Spending Review, the Government announced that councils will be able to introduce a new social care precept. The social care precept gives local authorities that are facing significant pressures the freedom to raise council tax to help mitigate against these pressures. It puts money raising powers into the hands of local areas who best understand the need in their area and who are best placed to respond.
Further, the Spending Review set out the Government’s commitment to fund a Dementia Research Institute.