§ Mr. HavardTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what specific blood substitute therapies will be made available for treating cancer patients with anaemia-related fatigue following the adoption of additional screening; [16348]
(2) if he will introduce into the NHS those (a) blood transfusion and (b) blood substitute regimes for cancer patients used in overseas hospitals treating NHS patients which are more effective and efficient than UK practices. [16350]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 20 November 2001]: There are a number of erthropietin drugs licensed to shorten the period of anaemia in patients receiving platinum-containing chemotherapy. These are available for clinicians to prescribe when it is clinically beneficial.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) helps clarify, both for patients and professionals, which drugs are clinically effective and cost-effective. NICE helps the national health service to focus its increasing resources on those treatments that will best improve peoples' health. Criteria have been established by the Department, the National Assembly for Wales and NICE to help determine which interventions are referred to NICE. They have been applied consistently for all NICE guidance to date and are available on the NICE website.