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.

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.