§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what factors led(a) Lambeth, (b) Southwark, (c) Lewisham and (d) Cambridge and Huntingdon health authorities not to purchase beta interferon. [20727]
§ Mr. HoramHealth authorities are responsible, through their purchasing and allocation decisions and the advice and support they give to clinicians, for achieving the best possible health outcomes for their populations within the resources available. We understand that Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham, and Cambridge and Huntingdon health authorities determined their local policies for the purchase of beta-interferon lb on the basis of assessments of the clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the treatment, and of local health needs, priorities and resources.