§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made to make beta interferon available for MS sufferers by (a) primary care trusts and (b) hospital trusts serving North Yorkshire. [64457]
§ Ms BlearsOn 4 February 2002, Health Service Circular 2002/004. was issued to the national health service announcing the risk-sharing scheme for drug treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS). The scheme makes provision for an estimated 9,000 MS patients to be eligible for treatment on the NHS.
In total 49 patients from North Yorkshire were receiving beta interferon therapy by March 2002. Following the implementation of the risk sharing scheme it is expected that the number of North Yorkshire residents receiving treatment will double to over 100.
Given the potential number of patients who may be eligible, representatives from all four North Yorkshire primary care trusts and the North and East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire health authority met with clinicians and managers from York Health National Health Service Trust in May 2002 to discuss local implementation of the guidance. The trust prepared an initial assessment of introducing the scheme. An agreed action plan and the timetable for implementing the guidance will be available by the end of July 2002.
306WFor North Yorkshire residents who will not use the York assessment service, the following actions are being undertaken:0
Leeds Teaching Hospitals National Health Service Trust will be in a position to implement from July 2002.Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust has set up a steering group which met on 27 June 2002.South Tees Acute Hospitals National Health Service Trust has identified a designated specialist consultant neurologist and a list of patients requesting treatment is being drawn up. A plan for the delivery of the service is being drawn up and is due for completion in August 2002.