Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) clinical commissioning groups in England and (b) local health boards in Wales are held to account for local prescribing policy decisions which restrict patient access to drugs and borderline substances recommended for reimbursement.

Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for decisions on commissioning health services to best meet the needs of their local population and are accountable for local prescribing policy decisions. In commissioning services CCGs will reflect the needs of local people and support improvements in health and healthcare outcomes.

NHS England therefore has no plans to monitor the implementation of local prescribing policies.

Arrangements for prescribing medicines in Wales are the responsibility of the Welsh Government.