§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the usefulness of the quality adjusted life year as a measure; and if he will make a statement on how it is used by the NHS and his Department. [41715]
§ Yvette CooperQuality adjusted life years (QALY's) are commonly used in the national health service and elsewhere to compare different treatments which prolong life or improve the quality of life. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence uses QALY's as part of its range of tools to assess the clinical and cost effectiveness of treatments which it is appraising, prior to issuing its guidance to the NHS.