Mr. Gareth ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to improve access to(a) treatments and (b) services for arthritis. [105602]
§ Jacqui SmithOur policies to improve general hospital care, especially through the new single assessment process, will ensure that the health care needs of older people—who are the main sufferers from arthritis—will be properly targeted. This will ensure that the services that are provided are most appropriate to older people's needs, including people with arthritis.
People with arthritis will benefit from the expert patients programme, which will see the national health service provide training in self-management skills for people with long-term chronic conditions. The first pilot phase has begun in selected primary care trust (PCT) sites, with activity to take place both on a generic and a disease-specific basis.
In the past year, two new classes of drugs, Cox II inhibitors and anti-TNF therapy, have been made available to arthritis patients following reviews by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). In addition, NICE is reviewing the drug, Anakinra, for its clinical and cost-effectiveness in treating rheumatoid arthritis.
We have issued directions obliging health authorities and PCTs to provide appropriate funding for recommended treatments. This is in line with our commitment to ensure that patients receive drugs and treatments recommended by NICE on the NHS if deemed appropriate by their clinicians.