Asked by: Robert Neill (Conservative - Bromley and Chislehurst)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress organisations which have participated in the Sign up to Safety campaign have made on fulfilling the pledges in that campaign; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Dan Poulter
The Sign up to Safety campaign was launched on 24 June 2014. Each organisation that has joined the campaign has committed to improving patient safety through the implementation of a Safety Improvement Plan. The Safety Improvement Plan builds on the pledges the organisation set out when joining. The pledges are expanded in more detail in the plan, which sets out what the organisation wants to achieve and by when. Each organisation is expected to demonstrate how they will measure the local impact of their aims over the next three years via a measurement section within their plans. They will then implement their aims over the next three years.
The Sign up to Safety campaign is being promoted by means of:
- a national campaign website;
- regional and national presentations at events across the country delivered by the Campaign Director, the Secretary of State and others;
- Twitter with over 1,500 followers;
- a blog by the Campaign Director;
- an online seminar programme (webinars);
- through partner organisations including NHS England, Care Quality Commission, Monitor, NHS Trust Development Authority, NHS Litigation Authority, Health Education England, and NHS Improving Quality;
- mini poster campaigns, such as the Safe Care Costs Less, and individual events, such as the launch of the Patient Briefing Video; and
- through participant websites and local events.
As at the end of October 2014, a total number of 136 organisations have agreed to participate in the Sign up to Safety campaign. Each participant organisation is expected to set out how they will contribute to the campaign’s three year objective via their Safety Improvement Plan – they are expected to quantify the expected impact of their actions on a reduction of avoidable harm and saving lives. The measurement and evaluation of the impact at a regional and national level will be led by NHS England working with NHS Improving Quality as part of the integrated measurement strategy for both the campaign and the Patient Safety Collaborative programme. This will include the National Reporting and Learning System, harms via the Safety Thermometer and mortality rates, case studies of individual organisations and patient record reviews.
Asked by: Robert Neill (Conservative - Bromley and Chislehurst)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost-per-quality adjusted life year threshold used by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and its predecessor bodies to determine the cost-effectiveness of medicines has been in each year since 1999; and what that threshold has been in each year in real terms (a) using the gross domestic product deflator, (b) adjusting for health pay and price inflation and (c) adjusting for the health component of the consumer price index.
Answered by George Freeman
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) does not operate a fixed cost per Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY) in the development of its technology appraisal guidance. NICE’s Guide to the Methods of Technology Appraisal explains that, for most technology appraisals, it uses a cost per QALY range of £20,000 to £30,000 in its decision-making that enables other factors to be taken into account. This range has remained unchanged since NICE was established in 1999.
NICE’s technology appraisal methods guide contains further information on the way in which NICE takes the cost per QALY into account in the development of its guidance and is available at:
www.nice.org.uk/article/pmg9/
Asked by: Robert Neill (Conservative - Bromley and Chislehurst)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on what dates since 1 July 2014 NHS England has discussed with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) reforming the way in which NICE assesses the cost-effectiveness of cancer drugs; what the content of those discussions was; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by George Freeman
I understand that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and NHS England met on 28 July, 4 August and 26 August to discuss arrangements for the Cancer Drugs Fund, including its interaction with the NICE appraisal process.
NICE recently consulted on options for better assessing the value of new drugs and is currently considering the responses to that exercise.
Asked by: Robert Neill (Conservative - Bromley and Chislehurst)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the statement by Peter Clark of NHS England that cancer drugs on the list of treatments which are approved for funding must be re-evaluated, reported in The Guardian's article of 28 August 2014 entitled 'Cancer Drugs Fund gets £160 million more for innovative treatments' through what process cancer drugs will be re-evaluated; and whether cancer drugs will be subject to assessments of their cost-effectiveness.
Answered by George Freeman
NHS England has oversight of the Cancer Drugs Fund.
NHS England has advised that work is currently underway to determine the process for reviewing drugs on its national list of cohort policies and on how best to assess costs in relation to clinical benefit delivered.
Asked by: Robert Neill (Conservative - Bromley and Chislehurst)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the forecast level of expenditure on the Cancer Drugs Fund will be in the 2014-15 financial year.
Answered by George Freeman
NHS England has oversight of the Cancer Drugs Fund.
We are advised that NHS England has not published a forecast for expenditure through the Cancer Drugs Fund in 2014-15.
On 28 August, we announced that the size of the Fund would be increased to £280 million in both 2014-15 and 2015-16.
Asked by: Robert Neill (Conservative - Bromley and Chislehurst)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what outturn expenditure on the Cancer Drugs Fund was in the 2013-14 financial year, for each treatment funded.
Answered by George Freeman
NHS England has published figures which show that in 2013-14, overall expenditure through the Cancer Drugs Fund was £230,539,005. I understand that NHS England has no plans to publish a further breakdown. Further information can be found at:
www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/cdf-summ-fin-pos-13-14.pdf
Asked by: Robert Neill (Conservative - Bromley and Chislehurst)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what cost-per-quality-adjusted life-year thresholds NHS England will attach to its assessments of the cost-effectiveness of cancer drugs for the purposes of assessing whether they should be funded through the Cancer Drugs Fund; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by George Freeman
NHS England has oversight of the Cancer Drugs Fund.
NHS England has advised that work is currently underway to determine the process for reviewing drugs on its national list of cohort policies and on how best to assess costs in relation to clinical benefit delivered.