Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the contribution the proposed changes to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Methods will make towards improving patient access to medicines.

The Department supports the proposals in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) review of its methods and processes. The proposals are consistent with the expectations for the review in the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access, agreed with industry. NICE’s review will ensure it retains global leadership in the evaluation and appraisal of new medicines and technologies which will promote the United Kingdom as the best place in the world to develop, trial, launch and adopt innovative new medicines, improving patient access. While it is too early to comment on the final changes to NICE’s methods and processes, NICE is reviewing the responses to its latest consultation and expects to publish the final programme manual in early 2022.