§ Lady HermonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the availability of Remicade to NHS patients in Northern Ireland. [129810]
§ Angela SmithThe medicine Remicade has been prescribed in Northern Ireland since November 1999 for a number of health service patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis who have failed to respond to existing drug therapies. The use of Remicade for the treatment of an individual patient is a matter for clinical judgment and is the individual responsibility of the prescriber. The decision is taken by a hospital consultant in collaboration with the patient, having discussed with him or her, the risks and benefits of treatment.
An extra £3.1 million for the provision of specialist drugs, including those for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, was allocated to Health and Social Services Boards in the last financial year. This has now been uplifted for inflation and has been provided on a recurrent basis, All four Health and Social Services Boards have made a commitment to ensure an equitable approach to the management and reduction of waiting lists for expensive specialist medicines for arthritis and other conditions as one of the Priorities for Action 2003–04.