Prescription Drugs
(asked on 6th January 2016) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the processes undertaken by the NICE for approving and commissioning new medicines for cancers and ultra rare diseases; and if he will make a statement.
No such assessment has been made.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that makes recommendations to the National Health Service on the use of selected drugs and treatments through its technology appraisal and highly specialised technologies programmes. NICE does not commission new medicines and treatments.
NICE is responsible for its own processes and methodology, which it periodically reviews in consultation with stakeholders. Further information on NICE’s processes is available at:
The Accelerated Access Review, chaired by Sir Hugh Taylor, is looking at speeding up access to innovative medicines and technologies for patients. NICE has been working closely with the review as it develops its recommendations which are due to be published in Spring 2016.