§ Mrs. Iris RobinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what criteria are used to prioritise patients to receive new anti-TNF drugs for rheumatoid arthritis; and if he will make a statement. [173612]
§ Angela SmithPriority is given to those patients who, having been assessed as suitable for treatment with anti-TNF drugs, have been on the waiting list for the longest time.
§ Mrs. Iris RobinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what obstacles prevent all rheumatoid arthritis sufferers deemed suitable for new anti-TNF drugs by their consultants from receiving them; and if he will make a statement. [173613]
§ Angela SmithThe decision on the appropriate treatment for an individual patient is a matter for the clinician concerned, in consultation with the patient. Ideally, all rheumatoid arthritis sufferers deemed suitable for anti-TNF drug treatment by their consultants should receive these medicines. However, rising demand, the high costs of these medicines and the936W infrastructure required to prepare and administer them, and limited health service resources result in some patients having to wait for this form of treatment. In the meantime they continue to receive conventional treatment for their condition.