§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of how consultant(a) neurologists and (b) specialist nurses in post have coped with implementing the prescription plus 26W monitoring scheme for beta interferons; and whether further resources will be made available to facilitate the scheme; [97146]
(2) by what date everyone with MS who is eligible for beta interferons will have received these drugs under the prescription plus monitoring scheme; and how many people potentially eligible for the drug have received it. [97145]
§ Mr. LammyWe do not hold detailed information about the local implementation of the scheme, but a survey of strategic health authorities conducted last autumn showed that services were being developed to initiate treatment under the scheme. Funding is included in primary care trust general allocations, which on average are increasing by more than 9 per cent. in cash terms over each of the next three years.
It is the intention to complete recruitment of patients to the scheme within 18 months of the scheme being initiated by centres.