Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has had recent discussions with the Chief Executive of NHS England on the (a) procurement of and (b) supply chain for Esketamine.

Whilst there have been no recent discussions with NHS England on the procurement or supply of esketamine, the Department is aware that the supplier of esketamine solution for injection discontinued this product in the United Kingdom in June 2023. We have worked with suppliers to ensure that alternative products are made available and we have spoken with specialist importers, who have advised that they could source unlicensed imports of esketamine, if needed.

The Department has well-established procedures to deal with supply issues and works closely with industry, the National Health Service, and others to manage supply issues and prevent shortages, helping to resolve any issues as soon as they arise. We work with the NHS to share information about supply issues and guidance for healthcare professionals on how to manage patients whilst there is a disruption to supply.