Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many apprentices are employed in his Department.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
As at 31 October 2018, the Department has 52 apprentices on learning programmes.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £8.75 per hour.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
On 31 October 2018, no individuals employed by the Department were paid less than £8.75 per hour.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £10.20 per hour.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Department operates different pay rates for staff based in London and those based elsewhere. On 31st October 2018, eight individuals working in the Department were paid less than £10.20 per hour. All of these individuals were based outside London. All staff in London were paid £10.20 per hour or more.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2018 to Question 122358, on Orkambi: Republic of Ireland, if he will place copies of that correspondence in the Library.
Answered by Steve Brine
Copies of correspondence from the Government of the Republic of Ireland dated 28 November and 7 December 2016 and from my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the Government of the Republic of Ireland dated 13 January 2017, on Orkambi are attached.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Government's response to e-petition 209455, on making Orkambi available on the NHS for people with cystic fibrosis, if he will place copies of the correspondence between NHS England and Vertex in the Library.
Answered by Steve Brine
NHS England has advised that the correspondence requested is commercially sensitive and therefore it would not be appropriate to release this information.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of people with cystic fibrosis who would be eligible for treatment with the drug Orkambi if it were available on the NHS.
Answered by Steve Brine
The number of patients aged 12 and over with cystic fibrosis homozygous for the F508del mutation, in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidance, that might be eligible for treatment with Orkambi (lumacaftor-ivacaftor) under its marketing authorisation was estimated to be approximately 4,000 during the topic selection considerations that led to the referral of Orkambi to NICE.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the potential savings accruing to the public purse from reduced hospital admissions in the event that Orkambi were to be made available on the NHS.
Answered by Steve Brine
The Department has made no estimate. Through its technology appraisal programme, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides authoritative, evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service on whether drugs and other treatments represent a clinically and cost effective use of resources. In developing its guidance, NICE takes into account all the costs and savings associated with the treatment.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with his Irish counterpart on the cost-effectiveness of Orkambi in treating cystic fibrosis.
Answered by Steve Brine
The Government corresponded with the Government of the Republic of Ireland in early 2017 in relation to the cost-effectiveness of Orkambi for the treatment of cystic fibrosis.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has discussed with his German counterpart the cost-effectiveness of Orkambi in that country's health service treatment of cystic fibrosis.
Answered by Steve Brine
We have had no such discussions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) assessed the cost benefit of Orkambi and was unable to recommend it. Vertex has been encouraged to engage in negotiations with NHS England and if it comes forward with a new proposal, NICE will be able to reconsider.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with his Austrian counterpart on the cost-effectiveness of Orkambi in treating cystic fibrosis.
Answered by Steve Brine
We have had no such discussions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) assessed the cost benefit of Orkambi and was unable to recommend it. Vertex has been encouraged to engage in negotiations with NHS England and if it comes forward with a new proposal, NICE will be able to reconsider.