Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received on the changes in the level of funding allocated to renal patients on dialysis.

Funding is not allocated to renal patients on dialysis in the way that the question seems to suggest. The National Tariff Payment System, which is the responsibility of Monitor and NHS England, does however include prices for renal dialysis that are payable to providers.

Draft prices for 2015/16, based on the costs of providing treatment as reported by National Health Service providers, were published in July 2014. Feedback from this engagement exercise, which ended on 15 August, was carefully considered and further discussions about the draft prices for renal dialysis took place with stakeholders, including the National Kidney Federation, British Kidney Patient Association, Renal Association, Kidney Research UK.

A meeting was held on 1 October at which the concerns raised by the renal community in relation to the draft prices published in July were discussed. As a result of that discussion, it was agreed that the 2014/15 haemodialysis best practice tariff prices would be rolled forward for 2015/16 (subject to the adjustment for efficiency and costs), subject to the outcome of the statutory consultation on the 2015/16 National Tariff.

As an interim measure, Monitor and NHS England offered providers a choice between an Enhanced Tariff Option (based on 2015/16 prices and revised proposals) or to default, staying with 2014/15 prices. The roll-over of 2014/15 haemodialysis best practice tariff prices is included in the Enhanced tariff Option offer.