Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of enabling access to multiple innovative advanced therapies on (a) the ability of people with long-term health conditions to self-manage their condition and (b) NHS capacity.

No specific assessment has been made. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service. When making recommendations on the clinical and cost effectiveness of drugs, including those for long-term conditions, NICE considers factors such as the extent to which patients would be able to self-manage their condition in estimating impacts on quality of life. NICE also assesses the resource impact associated with technologies and guidelines, which includes capacity and demand, changes to patient flows and workforce and training implications.