Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to (a) prioritise and (b) increase the speed of access to (i) vaccines and (ii) other preventative treatments for recurrent urinary tract infections, once approved.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) evaluates new licensed medicines, to determine whether they represent a clinically effective and cost-effective use of National Health Service resources. NICE aims to publish guidance on new medicines as close as possible to the date that the drug receives its marketing authorisation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

NICE published a guideline, Urinary tract infection (recurrent): antimicrobial prescribing, with the reference code NG112, which includes recommendations on treatments for preventing recurrent urinary tract infection, including antibiotic prophylaxis and methenamine hippurate. Recommendations on methenamine hippurate were updated in 2024 following a review of current evidence. This guideline is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng112

The recommendations in the guideline represent the view of NICE, arrived at after careful consideration of the evidence available. When exercising their judgement, NHS professionals and practitioners are expected to take this guideline fully into account, alongside the individual needs, preferences, and values of their patients or the people using their service. It is not mandatory for the NHS to apply the recommendations, and the guideline does not override the responsibility of healthcare practitioners to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual, in consultation with them, and their families and carers or guardian where appropriate. NICE does not manage the delivery of NHS care or monitor compliance with its guidelines.