Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will have discussions with NICE on developing a fast track approval process for covid-19 treatments for the immuno-compromised.

There are no plans to ask the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to establish a fast-track approval process for COVID-19 treatments. NICE evaluates all new licensed medicines, including COVID-19 treatments, and aims wherever possible to issue guidance close to the time of licensing to ensure that National Health Service patients can benefit from rapid access to safe and effective medicines. The aligned pathway between NICE and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency launched on 1 April 2026 and allows decisions on licensing and value to be published in parallel, with the aim of bringing clinically and cost-effective new medicines to patients three to six months sooner.