§ Mr. LukeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will consult medical experts and interested organisations with a view to conducting a review of his Department's decision not to include cystic fibrosis on the list of readily identifiable conditions; [73634]
335W(2) for what reasons cystic fibrosis is not included on the list of readily identifiable conditions; [73635]
(3) what plans he has to include in the near future cystic fibrosis on the list of readily identifiable conditions in order to exempt sufferers from prescription charges. [73636]
§ Mr. LammyOur policy is to give priority to helping people who may have difficulty in paying charges, rather than extending the exemption arrangements to people with other medical conditions such as cystic fibrosis.
When we reviewed the prescription charging arrangements as part of the 1998 Comprehensive Spending Review, we noted that there was no consensus on what additional conditions might be included in any revised list of medical exemptions, or how distinctions could be drawn between one condition and another. We concluded that it would not be right to consider one group in isolation.