Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with patients' groups on changes to tariffs for Renal Dialysis in Monitor's 2015/16 National Tariff Payments System: Engagement on national prices consultation.

As part of Monitor’s and NHS England’s engagement plan for the Tariff Payments System: Engagement on national prices consultation, Monitor spoke to patient representative groups and charity representative groups, including the National Kidney Federation, British Kidney Association, Polycystic Kidney Disease Charity and the Renal Association. Monitor has since arranged follow up discussions with these patient groups to discuss their feedback.

The consultation process is designed to enable Monitor and NHS England to review the draft prices, suggested within the consultation, in light of feedback received. Monitor will continue to be in contact with these specialist renal groups prior to the publication of the final national prices, due October 2014, which will vary from the draft relative prices published in July 2014.