Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that high-cost drugs are delivered to cystic fibrosis patients on time.

It is important that patients, including those with cystic fibrosis, get those high cost drugs provided through homecare services on time.

The Department commissioned a review of homecare medicine supply arrangements to ensure they deliver the best value for patients, the National Health Service and the provider market. The review report, Homecare Medicines: Towards a Vision for the Future, was published in December 2011 and is available at:

http://media.dh.gov.uk/network/121/files/2011/12/111201-Homecare-Medicines-Towards-a-Vision-for-the-Future2.pdf

The outcome of subsequent improvement work is summarised in the further report, Homecare Medicines: Towards a Vision for the Future - Taking Forward the Recommendations, published in May 2014 and available at:

www.uhns.nhs.uk/AboutUs/NHSHomecareMedicinesinEngland.aspx

NHS England issued a patient safety alert on minimising the risks of omitted and delayed medicines for patients receiving homecare services on 10 April 2014. This recommended that all healthcare organisations that commission clinical homecare services:

- establish if medicine homecare services were used by their organisation and if incidents of omitted and delayed medicines had occurred;

- consider whether immediate action needed to be taken locally and, if required, develop an action plan, to reduce risk and the potential risk to patients;

- disseminate the alert to all medical, nursing, pharmacy and other staff involved in the care of homecare patients; and

- report patient safety incidents concerning homecare to the National Reporting and Learning Service.

A copy of the patient safety alert is available at:

www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/psa-omitted-delayed-meds.pdf

The Department continues to work with NHS England, homecare companies, pharmaceutical suppliers and the NHS to ensure that homecare arrangements are safe and deliver value for the NHS and improved outcomes for patients.