Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress his Department has made on negotiations between NHS England and Vertex pharmaceuticals on making Orkambi available on the NHS for people diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.

On 24 October, NHS England and NHS Improvement announced that a deal had been agreed with the company Vertex to make Orkambi and its other licensed cystic fibrosis drugs available to National Health Service patients in England.

This deal, while commercially confidential, constitutes good value for the NHS, is backed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and will benefit around 5,000 patients with cystic fibrosis. NHS England and NHS Improvement have announced that there is no cap on patient numbers and all patients who might benefit can now get these treatments on the NHS. Clinicians will be able to begin prescribing these drugs within 30 days of this announcement.