Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to meet uptake targets for the five highest health gain categories; and who is accountable for that effort.

The National Health Service continues to support the most clinically and cost-effective medicines, including the five highest health gain (5HHG) categories. NHS Digital’s innovation scorecard estimates show that use of the 5HHG categories, with the exception of varenicline, was within the expected usage of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s recommended medicines. The scorecard is scheduled to be updated on 27 October 2022.

The Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access is an agreement between the Department, on behalf of the Government, NHS England, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry and suppliers or producers of branded medicines on the Scheme. All parties committed to the objective of reaching the upper quartile of uptake for the 5HHG categories in relation to comparator countries during the first half of the Scheme.