Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered excluding newly launched antibiotics or soon-to-be launched antibiotics from the payment-by-results tariff.

All known new drugs, which include new antibiotics, coming onto the United Kingdom market are considered as part of the process for determining whether they can be added to the list of high cost drugs that are reimbursed outside of national prices. This process takes a forward look for drugs likely to come onto the market when the National Tariff comes into effect, to ensure that the high cost list remains clinically relevant.

We are commissioning an external review of the pathways for the development, assessment, and adoption of innovative medicines and medical technology. This review will consider how to speed up access for National Health Service patients to cost-effective new diagnostics, medicines and devices.