Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure all eligible NHS Trusts participate in the Early Access Programme for givinostat.

Under the Early Access Programme (EAP), givinostat is free to both patients taking part in it, and to the National Health Service, but NHS trusts must still cover the cost of administering it to patients. The Department and NHS England do not have any initiatives to encourage participation in compassionate use schemes such as the EAP for givinostat and participation is decided at an individual NHS trust level.

NHS England has published guidance for integrated care systems (ICSs) on free of charge medicines schemes such as EAPs, including providing advice on potential financial, administrative, and clinical risks. The guidance aims to support the NHS to drive value from medicines and ensure consistent and equitable access to medicines across England. ICSs should follow the recommendations to determine whether to implement any free of charge scheme, including assessing suitability and any risks in the short, medium, and long term. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/free-of-charge-foc-medicines-schemes-national-policy-recommendations-for-local-systems/