§ Sir Brian MawhinneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those trusts and primary care groups which do not routinely pay for patients suffering from multiple sclerosis to receive Beta-interferon when that is the drug recommended by the patients' physicians. [108449]
§ Ms StuartInformation about local policies on the treatment of multiple sclerosis is not available centrally. Any such policies should be agreed by the health authorities, primary care groups, trusts and clinicians concerned, and should provide for individual cases to be considered on their merits in the light of the evidence available on different forms of treatment.
We have asked the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) to conduct an authoritative appraisal of the evidence on Beta-interferon, as part of its first work programme. NICE guidance is expected to be issued to the National Health Service by August 2000.