Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what response he has made to the request by NHS England to defer implementation of the guidance on sofosbuvir for hepatitis C.

As an independent body, it is for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), in consultation with stakeholders, to consider NHS England’s request to defer implementation of its guidance on sofosbuvir (Sovaldi) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.

NICE recently consulted on extending the funding period and we understand that NICE expects to publish the outcome of that consultation, along with its final draft guidance on sofosbuvir, later this month. The Department’s response to the consultation will be published alongside other stakeholders’ comments. We are confident that NICE will carefully consider all the comments it has received before taking a final decision.

NICE currently expects to publish its final guidance on sofosbuvir in February 2015, although this is subject to any appeals being received.