Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to ensure that those with vulnerabilities can access COVID-19 treatments in a timely manner, given the transition of COVID-19 treatment to routine pathways and the removal of important support systems such as digital enablers.

Following positive National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommendations for community-based COVID-19 treatments, integrated care boards (ICBs) will have a statutory responsibility for providing access from 27 June. As with other treatments, it will be for ICBs, who are closer to their local population, to determine the appropriate access arrangements within the treatment window.

NHS England has written to highest-risk patients who can be digitally identified to advise them of the changes in the pathway and to advise them to contact local services as per local pathways. UK Health Security Agency, the Department and NHS England have also been working with patient groups to raise awareness of the changes as we move out of pandemic-specific arrangements.

NHS England has also been working with local systems to support the development of the new pathways, and provide assurance that new arrangements will be in place to ensure access for patients, NHS England will continue to monitor the transition to routine pathways.

Patients newly diagnosed with a qualifying condition or treatment regime should be advised by their treating clinician at that point that they may be eligible, and how to access services if they test positive for COVID-19. Clinicians will then consider COVID-19 as a potential diagnosis when assessing patients, determine whether the individual is at highest risk and act accordingly, in line with their clinical judgement.