Asthma: Medical Treatments

(asked on 31st March 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether an assessment of trends in the levels of waiting times to access biologic therapies has been made under the NHS Accelerated Access Collaborative's rapid uptake programme for asthma biologic therapies; and if he will make a statement.


Answered by
Maria Caulfield Portrait
Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
This question was answered on 19th April 2022

NHS England and NHS Improvement commissioned LOGEX and IVM to report on the current usage of the five highest health gain categories against 10 other similar European countries to understand national and international differences. While the LOGEX and IVM report did not investigate the reasons for differences in use of asthma biologics, the report demonstrated that use of biologics in England is increasing. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s recommendations include that physicians evaluate patients on biologics and halt treatment if the patient does not respond adequately.

The report suggests that variation in the use of biologics in the population in England reflects documented differences in clinical practice. NHS Digital’s innovation scorecard estimates report on the use of biologic medicines to treat severe asthma shows that the level of use in England is in line with the expectations of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s recommendations. The Accelerated Access Collaborative has undertaken a review of the patient’s journey to the initiation of asthma biologic treatment in severe asthma centres. The findings are informing the development of a consensus clinical pathway for uncontrolled and severe asthma with recommended timelines and roles and responsibilities for healthcare professionals. The clinical pathway is due to be published shortly.

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