Department of Health and Social Care written question – answered at on 20 February 2026.
Clive Jones
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Trade)
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to align NICE appraisal timelines, MHRA regulatory pathways and NHS commissioning decisions to support the delivery of personalised cancer medicines.
Zubir Ahmed
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) aims to issue guidance on new medicines close to the time of licensing to ensure that patients benefit from rapid access to clinically and cost effective new medicines. The National Health Service in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE, normally within three months of final guidance, and cancer medicines are eligible for funding through the Cancer Drugs Fund from the point of a positive draft NICE recommendation, bringing forward patient access by up to five months.
Through the Life Sciences Sector Plan, we are improving alignment between Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency licensing and NICE guidance, helping medicines reach patients three to six months faster. This includes a coordinated pathway and integrated advice service for developers, launching in March 2026, to streamline regulatory and Health Technology Assessment processes and support timely patient access. The Life Sciences Sector Plan is published and available at the following link:
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
