Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan on ensuring the availability of thalassaemia treatment and awareness; and what allocations of the Official Development Aid is being put towards this.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK uses Official Development Assistance (ODA) to support Pakistan in realising its ambition of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and ending preventable deaths of mothers, babies and children. We take a systems approach to this, providing technical assistance to strengthen decision making on health policy and financing. We also build the evidence base on effective sub-system interventions for UHC. No specific investments are made in Thalassaemia treatment or awareness raising in Pakistan. However, our support will strengthen core components of Pakistan's health system and increase coverage and service offers that should be of benefit to those with Thalassaemia.
Aug. 17 2023
Source Page: 2021/22 Sickle cell and thalassaemia screening (SCT) screening reportFound: 2021/22 Sickle cell and thalassaemia screening (SCT) screening report
Jul. 24 2023
Source Page: Sickle cell and thalassaemia screening programme: standardsFound: Sickle cell and thalassaemia screening programme: standards
Aug. 17 2023
Source Page: Sickle cell and thalassaemia (SCT) screening: programme overviewFound: Sickle cell and thalassaemia (SCT) screening: programme overview
Aug. 17 2023
Source Page: 2021/22 Sickle cell and thalassaemia screening (SCT) screening reportFound: 2021/22 Sickle cell and thalassaemia screening (SCT) screening report
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on access to new treatments for sickle cell disease and beta thalassaemia.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department regularly discusses a range of issues with colleagues in NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) related to patient access to effective new treatments. NICE appraises all newly licensed medicines and aims to publish draft guidance around the time of licensing wherever possible. NICE works closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and NHS England to ensure that there is a joined-up, timely approach to supporting access to new treatments for National Health Service patients.
NICE is currently appraising exagamglogene autotemcel for treating transfusion-dependent beta-thalassaemia and sickle cell disease, and expects to publish final guidance in March and April 2024 respectively.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with (a) NICE and (b) NHS England on encouraging the adoption of new treatments for (i) sickle cell disease and (ii) beta-thalassaemia.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department regularly discusses a range of issues with colleagues in NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), related to patient access to new treatments.
The NICE appraises all new licensed medicines, and its recommendations are developed independently in line with its established methods and processes, on the basis of an assessment of the available evidence, and through extensive engagement with stakeholders. NHS England is legally required to fund treatments recommended in NICE technology appraisal guidance.
Mentions:
1: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Lab - Streatham) landmark report by the Sickle Cell Society and the all-party parliamentary group on sickle cell and thalassaemia - Speech Link
Nov. 16 2023
Source Page: MHRA authorises world-first gene therapy that aims to cure sickle-cell disease and transfusion-dependent β-thalassemiaFound: In people with β-thalassaemia, it can lead to severe anaemia.
Sep. 21 2023
Source Page: Q4 KPI Screening Data (1 January to 31 March)Found: coverage: antenatal screeningThe proportion of pregnant women eligible for antenatal sickle cell and thalassaemia