Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on end of life patients of NICE’s proposed severity modifier being introduced in a opportunity cost neutral package.

Analysis carried out by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in the development of the modifier indicates that the vast majority of medicines previously eligible for the end of life modifier, will also be eligible for a weighting under the severity modifier.

A severity modifier reflects evidence that society values health benefits for severe conditions more highly and will apply to a broad range of conditions, including end of life.