§ Lord Morris of Manchesterasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 9 October (WA 26), why the National Health Service has not yet responded to the last appraisal by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence of therapies for patients with chronic hepatitis C; [HL6293]
What was the number of patients treated by the National Health Service for chronic hepatitis C in the United Kingdom in 2001; and how that number compared with Germany and France; and how the numbers of people identified as suffering from chronic hepatitis C in the three countries compare; and [HL6294]
What is the latest figure available for the number of patients treated for chronic hepatitis C in the United Kingdom during 2002. [HL6295]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath:Health authority allocations for 2002–03 were increased by £3,704 million, or 9.9 per cent. A key priority for the use of additional funding is the implementation of guidance from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence. From 1 January 2002, the National Health Service is under a statutory obligation to provide appropriate funding for treatments or drugs which have been recommended by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.
The Department of Health does not collect information centrally on the number of patients receiving treatment for hepatitis C. Treatment for hepatitis C in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the devolved administrations.
It is estimated that the prevalence of hepatitis C antibody in the general population of the United Kingdom is about 0.5 per cent. Studies in France and Germany have estimated that the prevalence of hepatitis C antibody in the general population is around 1.0 per cent and 0.4 per cent respectively. About 80 per cent of those infected with hepatitis C develop chronic infection.
§ Lord Morris of Manchesterasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 9 October (WA 26), what funding is to be made available to implement their proposals outlined in the consultation document Hepatitis C Strategy for England. [HL6296]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath:A number of funding streams will support the strategy. A major component has been included in health authority allocations to support the National Institute for Clinical Excellence 149WA recommended combination drug treatments for moderate/severe liver disease caused by hepatitis C. Other funding streams are:
Central funding of £1.3 million over two years (2002–03 and 2003–04) has been allocated for raising professional/public awareness and improving surveillance. Funding for future years has yet to he decided;
Funding for the voluntary sector specifically for hepatitis C projects and for projects which are directed at prevention activities for injecting drug users in general has been increased and currently stands at around £0.2 million for 2002–03; HIV prevention funding includes health promotion for injecting drug users. From 2002–03
HIV prevention is funded through main National Health Service allocations and £55 million has been included for the coming year. From the returns collected under the AIDS (Control) Act, approximately 14 per cent (1999–2000) of the separate allocation (before mainstreaming) was spent on prevention work on injecting drug use.
The Department of Health also has a central budget for drug misuse for the National Treatment Agency of £ 175.7 million for 2002–03.
Lord Morris of Manchester askedHer Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 9 October (WA 26), whether the National Health Service policy in England for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C is different from that in Scotland since 2000 in respect of positive appraisal guidance, access to recombinant blood products and addressing the compensation of patients infected with contaminated National Health Service blood products; and, if so, why. [HL6297]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath:Policy on health matters in Scotland is the responsibility of the devolved administration there. The development of different policies in different parts of the United Kingdom is an intended consequence of devolution and this can lead to different outcomes.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued guidance on ribavirin and interferon combination therapy for hepatitis C in October 2000. It expects to issue guidance on pegylated interferons for the treatment of hepatitis C in November 2003. In the meantime, National Health Service bodies should continue with local arrangements for the managed introduction of new technologies where there is no guidance from NICE at the time the technology first becomes available, including assessing available evidence.
The Government are still considering whether to make recombinant clotting factors available to all haemophiliacs in England taking full account of representations made by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Haemophilia, the Haemophilia Society, the 150WA United Kingdom Haemophilia Centre Doctors Organisation and others. We hope to announce our decision before the end of 2002.
We deeply regret that so many people were infected with hepatitis C through blood products. However, this Government and their predecessor have held that compensation is paid to patients only when the National Health Service has been at fault and that an exception to this rule is not justified in the case of people infected with hepatitis C.