Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received from NICE on the timely implementation of its recommendations on the availability of new drugs for the treatment of Hepatitis C.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published final technology appraisal guidance in February 2015 recommending the hepatitis C drugs sofosbuvir (Sovaldi) and simeprevir (Olysio) for patients meeting specified clinical criteria. The Department has received no subsequent representations from NICE about the implementation of its guidance on these treatments.