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  • Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the agreement that NHS England and the pharmaceutical industry would share the financial risks of cost over-runs in the Cancer Drugs Fund, why it has been decided that the pharmaceutical industry will carry all of those costs.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England plans to invest in a new £340 million Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) to provide early access to cancer drug indications. Under the new process, any drugs that receive either a draft recommendation for routine commissioning or, where uncertainty exists, a recommendation for use within the CDF, will receive interim funding from the CDF from the point of marketing authorisation.

    This earlier access to cancer drugs will benefit both patients and the pharmaceutical industry and NHS England believes it is only fair that the pharmaceutical industry makes a contribution if any overspend occurs.

    NHS England’s impact assessment will not be completed until the detailed outcomes from the current consultation on the future of the CDF are confirmed.

  • Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the ability of NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to introduce the new Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) process from 1 April and manage the transition from the old CDF in relation to (1) timelines for the publication of Standard Operating Procedures and methodology changes, (2) the number of staff working on NICE appraisals, (3) the number of Appraisal Committee meetings required, and (4) external input required from Economic Reference Groups, clinicians, patient organisations, and manufacturers.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England’s Board agreed, on 25 February 2016, a way forward which will see the proposed new arrangements for the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) going live on 1 July 2016.

    We expect both NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to work together to ensure that both organisations have the necessary capability and capacity to implement these proposals.

    The NICE Board will be considering the implications of NHS England’s decision at its meeting on 16 March 2015.

    The Accelerated Access Review is actively engaging with NHS England to ensure alignment between the work of the review on speeding up access for NHS patients to innovative and cost effective new medicines and the CDF.

  • Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, under the new Cancer Drugs Fund, what steps will be taken to secure early patient access to cancer medicines with Promising Innovative Medicines designation that have successfully passed through the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulation Agency’s Early Access to Medicines Scheme.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England has advised that, under the proposals considered and approved by NHS England’s Board on 25 February 2016, the new Cancer Drugs Fund will provide access at drug launch for drug/indications which have a draft National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommendation for use including those drugs that have successfully been through the Early Access to Medicines Scheme.

  • Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many cancer medicines are expected to be given a conditional approval by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in the first year of operation of the Cancer Drugs Fund.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has advised that it is unable to provide a forecast as the number of technology appraisals published during the first year of the new Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) will depend on a number of factors including the value proposition put forward by manufacturers.

    NHS England has advised that it envisages, under the new arrangements for the CDF, that a greater number of cancer drugs will be funded from baseline commissioning. This will be as a consequence of more appropriate pricing arrangements proposed by pharmaceutical manufacturers and better evidence being available through the Fund as to longer term patient outcomes.

  • Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect a reimbursement decision on each of the drugs launched since June 2015 that were affected by the pause in listing new drugs on the Cancer Drugs Fund list.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Since June 2015, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published final technology appraisal guidance on the cancer drugs/indications listed in the following table.

    Topic title

    Final guidance publication

    Melanoma (unresectable, metastatic) – pembrolizumab (after ipilimumab) [TA357]

    October 2015

    Melanoma (unresectable, metastatic, ipilimumab naive) – pembrolizumab [TA366]

    November 2015

    Multiple myeloma – panobinostat (post 1 prior therapy) [TA380]

    January 2016

    Melanoma (advanced, unresectable, metastatic) – nivolumab [TA384]

    February 2016

    NHS England has advised that it envisages, under the new arrangements for the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF), that a greater number of cancer drugs will be funded from baseline commissioning. Under the new process, any drugs that receive either a draft recommendation for routine commissioning or, where uncertainty exists, a recommendation for use within the CDF, will receive interim funding from the CDF from the point of marketing authorisation.

    NICE has advised that it is unable to provide a forecast as to when this will occur for technology appraisals published during the first year of the new CDF as this will depend on a number of factors including the value proposition put forward by manufacturers.

  • Baroness Uddin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness Uddin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Uddin on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 28 January (HL5140), which six projects are to receive some of the £20 million in funding, and for what purposes.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    We have provided £8 million over three years to support six community-based English language projects delivered by e3, Faith Action, the Local Education Authorities Forum for the Education of Adults, Manchester City Council, TimeBank, and the Tinder Foundation. Together these projects will have supported 33,500 isolated adults by the end of March 2016.

    No decisions have yet been taken on who will deliver the new £20 million programme. We will use the learning from our current projects, along with the findings of Louise Casey’s review of integration, to ensure it is targeted on and meets the needs of those who need it most.

  • Baroness Uddin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness Uddin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Uddin on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 28 January (HL5141), whether they will name the four members of the Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group referred to in that answer.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The four members of the Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group referred to are Akeela Ahmed, Shermeen Butt, Sarah Joseph and Julie Saddiqi.

  • Baroness Uddin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness Uddin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Uddin on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 28 January (HL5141), who the sixteen influential Muslim Women” were who met the Prime Minister on 14 January at a Community Engagement Forum.”

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    Those who attended were:

    Sajda Mughal OBE, Managing Director at JAN Trust

    Syima Aslam, Organiser of Bradford Literary Festival

    Sara Khan, Director and co-founder of Inspire

    Diana Nammi, Executive Director of Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation

    Aysha and Kiran Iqbal Patel, Directors of Odara

    Fahma Mohamed, FGM activist and Trustee of Integrate Bristol

    Faeeza Vaid, Chair of ‘Sister 2 Sister’ in Birmingham and Executive Director of the Muslim Women’s Network

    Henna Rai, Director for the Association of British Muslims

    Yasmin Khan, Director of Staying Put and Aspire-I

    Hasina Khan, Chair and founder of Saheliyaan Asian Women’s Forum and Councillor on Chorley Council

    Nahid Rasool, Director of Shantona Women’s Centre

    Farmida Bi, Head of Islamic Finance and a partner at Norton Rose.

    Zahra Al-Alawi, Presenter of Woman’s View on Ahlulbayt TV

    Farah Mirza, TV Presenter and previous UN representative for Islamic Human Rights Commission

    Sarah Joseph OBE, Chief Executive and Editor of emel magazine

  • Baroness Uddin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness Uddin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Uddin on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how often they hold community engagement forum meetings, and what the criteria are for selecting participants.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    Community Engagement Forums are regularly hosted by the Prime Minister and are attended by different members of communities from across the country. The Forums focus on different themes and therefore participants are invited who have backgrounds in the relevant subject of the meeting.

  • The Earl of Sandwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The Earl of Sandwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Sandwich on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the British Medical Association’s report Prescribed drugs associated with dependence and withdrawal: building a consensus for action published in October 2015 on the effects of sudden withdrawal from prescribed drugs that have been over-prescribed; and (2) the need for more training on those effects; and whether they have plans to take any action as a result of that report.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    We welcome the British Medical Association’s report and its contribution to addressing this serious issue.

    It is the responsibility of local areas to plan, develop and improve health services according to the healthcare needs of the local population, including services for people dependent on prescription or over-the-counter medicines.

    The Department, Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England (NHSE) are responsible for helping local areas to understand how they can best support people dependent on prescribed or over-the-counter medicines and have undertaken a number of initiatives. These include:

    – supporting a project by St George’s University of London to strengthen the training of medical students in relation to substance misuse;

    – supporting the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education, Royal College of General Practitioners and others to develop information and educational materials, and training on addiction to medicines for General Practitioners and other healthcare professionals;

    – the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency publishing a learning module on benzodiazepines in April 2013;

    – PHE supported an expert group led by the Faculty of Pain Medicine at the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCOA) to develop an online only core resource on opioid pain medicines that can be used as a source of consistent information by any medical body developing its own materials, and are working with RCOA colleagues to support the widespread dissemination and implementation of this online only resource;

    – in June 2013, PHE published a commissioning guide for the NHS and local authorities, ‘Commissioning treatment for dependence on prescription and over-the-counter medicines: a guide for NHS and local authority commissioners’, which sets out their expectation that support should be available in every area for people with a dependency on prescription or over-the-counter medicines, based on a full assessment of local need. A copy of this guidance is attached;

    – PHE supporting a small number of local areas to pilot improvements in their commissioning of responses to dependence on prescribed or over-the-counter medicines; and

    – Commissioning research into prescribing patterns of dependence forming medicines in primary care.