Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has held discussions with the (a) National Homecare Medicines Committee, (b) Care Quality Commission and (c) General Pharmaceutical Council on the British Society for Rheumatology's views on the safety and performance of homecare medicines services.

The Department is aware of the British Society for Rheumatology’s (BSR) concerns about the homecare medicines service. Providers of homecare medicine services to National Health Service patients do so under framework agreements which may be held at national, regional or local level. This therefore requires a high degree of centralised co-ordination for which the National Homecare Medicines Committee (NHMC) supports and advises the NHS. The Committee liaises with homecare providers through their trade association, the National Clinical Homecare Association (NCHA), to support and co-ordinate development of the homecare market and discuss any system-wide issues.

The NHMC and the NCHA have met with the BSR to discuss their concerns about the safety and performance of homecare medicines services. Proposals are currently being discussed between the parties to establish a formal, ongoing dialogue which may also include representation from other medical specialties and stakeholders.

The NHMC appointed a new chair to start on the 1 May 2023. NHMC meetings will continue to be undertaken in line with their terms of reference.