Breast Cancer: Innovative Drugs Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateBaroness Massey of Darwen
Main Page: Baroness Massey of Darwen (Labour - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Baroness Massey of Darwen's debates with the Department of Health and Social Care
(7 years, 10 months ago)
Lords Chamber
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Accelerated Access Review will address the availability of innovative drugs for breast cancer.
My Lords, the report of the Accelerated Access Review, published today, makes recommendations to the Government on reforms to accelerate access for National Health Service patients to innovative medicines and medical technologies, which may include drugs for breast cancer, making our country the best place in the world to design, develop and deploy these products. I warmly welcome publication of the report. The Government will consider the recommendations in the review carefully and provide a formal response in due course.
I thank the Minister for that Answer. I am aware that, fortuitously, the final report of the Accelerated Access Review was published this morning, and, again, it is fortuitous that Thursday of this week will be breast cancer awareness day. The Secretary of State for Health has commented that we wish to make the UK the best place in the world to develop new drugs, as the Minister said. Do the Government therefore intend to commit to full delivery of the Accelerated Access Review, and what estimates have been made of the resources that will be necessary for this, if any resources are required?
We received the report today. We warmly welcome its principles and believe that by combining the great depth of our research base in this country with the NHS, which is the largest single integrated provider of health services in the world, we can create a world-leading life sciences base in this country. The detailed response to the report and the costs attached to it will come in due course.