Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2025 to Question 35462 on Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy: Shortages and with reference to his Department's joint National Patient Safety Alert entitled Shortage of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT): additional actions, published on 18 December 2024, what assessment he has made of the actions taken by integrated care boards in response to that alert.

The Department has made no formal assessment of the actions taken by integrated care boards (ICBs) in response to the National Patient Safety Alert entitled Shortage of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT): additional actions. However, the Department has engaged with representatives from specific ICBs for details on the management plans implemented and to understand how these are working in improving access to PERT at a regional level.

The Department also continues to work closely with specialist clinicians, NHS England, and the affected patient advocacy groups and charities, including Pancreatic Cancer UK, Cystic Fibrosis Trust, Guts UK, and Neuroendocrine Cancer UK, to understand the impacts of the guidance issued and discuss further actions.