HC Deb 05 March 2004 vol 418 cc1178-9W
Mr. Nigel Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Drugs used for treating patients who are HIV positive; and if he will make a statement. [157483]

Miss Melanie Johnson

Combination anti-retroviral Drug therapies have proved very effective for the majority of people with HIV, in reducing the severity of symptoms and prolonging quality of life.

The British HIV Association (BHIVA), the members of which include the majority of leading HIV/AIDS clinicians, has developed a detailed set of guidelines for the use and monitoring of combination anti-retroviral Drugs, and the regimens recommended by BHIVA are widely, accepted by the national health service. The guidelines, and their use by the NHS, are audited annually.

Mr. Nigel Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of(a) testing for HIV/AIDS and (b) treating HIV/AIDS patients in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [157484]

Miss Melanie Johnson

Information on the cost to the National Health Service of HIV and AIDS testing and treatment is not held centrally.

The sums allocated by the Department to the NHS for HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment and care in England since 1 993–94 are shown in the table. From April 2002, the special allocations for HIV prevention, treatment and care were added to NHS baseline funding according to the target distribution of HIV across England, and are no longer separately identified.

£ million
Year NHS allocation
1 993–94 214.4
1 994–95 214.0
1995–96 244.7
1996–97 237.7
1997–98 251.9
1 998–99 281.4
1999–2000 286.4
2000–01 289.4
2001–02 331.0

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