National Institute for Clinical Excellence

HC Deb 03 March 2003 vol 400 c879W

Mr. Webb

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the extent to which acute trusts are rationing drugs that have been approved by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence; and if he will make a statement. [99727]

Mr. Lammy

National health service bodies are under a statutory obligation to provide funding for treatments recommended by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence. We expect them to meet this obligation.

Mr. Webb

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if it is his policy that drugs that have been approved by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence should be available to all patients whose clinicians judge that they would benefit from them. [99734]

Mr. Lammy

Our policy is that treatments appraised by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) should be made available in accordance with recommendations of NICE.