NHS Medicines

Health and Social Care – in the House of Commons at on 10 March 2020.

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Photo of Julian Sturdy Julian Sturdy Conservative, York Outer

What steps his Department is taking to increase the range of medicines available to patients on the NHS.

Photo of Matthew Hancock Matthew Hancock Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The systems that we have in place are already securing access to effective new medicines for many thousands of NHS patients—for instance, cystic fibrosis patients through the drug Orkambi. Our commitment to getting new drugs into the NHS through an innovative medicines fund will further expand the access to medicines for NHS patients.

Photo of Julian Sturdy Julian Sturdy Conservative, York Outer

My right hon. Friend is aware that two children in my constituency have families who are self-funding the cannabis drug Bedrolite, which is their only means of controlling their severe epilepsy. He has very kindly agreed to meet me to discuss their case, but what action is being taken to make Bedrolite available on the NHS for families such as the two in my constituency for whom this really is the last resort?

Photo of Matthew Hancock Matthew Hancock Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

My hon. Friend is right to raise this issue, and I look forward to meeting him later this month to discuss it. These are desperately difficult cases. We have to trust doctors to make the right clinical decisions for each individual patient. Two licensed cannabis-based medicines have recently been made available for prescribing on the NHS. We keep working hard with the health system, and with industry and researchers, to improve the evidence base. Also, the costs need to be brought down by industry. Last week, the Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend Jo Churchill, held a roundtable with leading industry figures. I look forward to continued work to make sure that we can get these drugs to the people who need them.

Photo of Emma Hardy Emma Hardy Labour, Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle

Women suffering from endometriosis often do not get the medicine or treatment they need. One in 10 women suffer from this condition and it takes, on average, seven years to have a diagnosis. Will the Secretary of State please meet me and the all-party parliamentary group on endometriosis to discuss how we can develop research into this condition, and look at the work being done at Hull University?

Photo of Matthew Hancock Matthew Hancock Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Yes, I am very happy to look at that research and for either me or the Minister to meet the hon. Member and those whom she represents through the APPG. This is of course a very important issue. I think that it has been under-discussed for too long and should be brought up the agenda.

Photo of Paul Bristow Paul Bristow Conservative, Peterborough

Peterborough is the UK’s fourth fastest growing city, home to over 200,000 people, and our hospital serves many, many more. Despite this, Peterborough and fenland patients are forced to travel to Cambridge, or further, for percutaneous coronary intervention and other cardiac medicines to treat or prevent heart attacks. Will my right hon. Friend support my ambition, and that of the trust, to ensure that there will be an elective PCI and other medicines cardiac service at Peterborough City Hospital?

Photo of Matthew Hancock Matthew Hancock Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

I am very happy to look into that individual case and to meet my hon. Friend, or for the Minister to meet him, to see what we can do.