Written Assembly Questions tabled on 14 January 2015 for answer on 21 January 2015
R - Signifies the Member has declared an interest.
W - Signifies that the question was tabled in Welsh.
(Self identifying Question no. shown in brackets)
Written Questions must be tabled at least five working days before they are to be answered. In practice, Ministers aim to answer within seven/eight days but are not bound to do so. Answers are published in the language in which they are provided, with a translation into English of responses provided in Welsh.
To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Minister outline the criteria used by the all Wales medicines strategy group to decide which medicines it will undertake interim appraisals of ahead of NICE advice? (WAQ68222)
Answer received on 22 January 2015
Mark Drakeford: The All Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG) take into account the future work programme of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) when considering whether a medicine will be appraised. AWMSG will not normally consider appraising a medicine if NICE intend to publish their final appraisal of the same product within 12 months of the date of marketing authorisation.
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Minister state the estimated Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme rebates for Wales for 2014/15 and 2015/16 and whether this money has yet been allocated? (WAQ68223)
Answer received on 22 January 2015
Mark Drakeford: The Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) payment estimate for the UK in 2014/15 is £454 million and in 2015/16 is £995 million. The apportionment of these monies to Wales will be based on the expenditure of NHS Wales on branded medicines compared to the other UK countries. The annual reconciliation for monies allocated to Wales in 2014/15 will not be completed until 30 August 2015. All payments to Wales will be spent on improving patients’ health and care.
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Minister publish a review of the impact of the blood borne viral hepatitis action plan for Wales? (WAQ68224)
Answer received on 20 January 2015
The Minister for Health and Social Services (Mark Drakeford): The Blood Borne Viral Hepatitis Action Plan is a five year plan first published in April 2010. The Implementation Board will be evaluating the impact of the Action Plan at the end of its term. A summary report will be published on the Public Health Wales web site.
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Minister outline his department's plans with regards to the replacement of the blood borne viral hepatitis action plan for Wales in April 2015? (WAQ68225)
Answer received on 22 January 2015
Mark Drakeford: The Blood Borne Viral Hepatitis Action Plan has resulted in significant developments in specialist services and this has much increased the capacity of the NHS in Wales to diagnose, treat and care for individuals with chronic viral hepatitis infection. The Action Plan was supported by funding to establish a clinical network. This funding will be maintained and mainstreamed into the work of health boards and Public Health Wales to continue to deliver effective services. We recently concluded a consultation on a Liver Disease Delivery Plan. This Plan incorporates actions to drive further improvement on blood borne viruses such as hepatitis and the implementation arrangements will include monitoring the progress of relevant services.
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Minister make a statement outlining the number of people in Wales with hepatitis C in the period 2010-15, to include both diagnosed and estimated undiagnosed, and what percentage of these have achieved a sustained virologic response? (WAQ68226)
Answer received on 20 January 2015
Mark Drakeford: Studies suggest that 0.4 per cent of the population in Wales, around 12,000 -14,000 people, have chronic hepatitis C infection. Historic data on confirmed cases of hepatitis C are published on a UK basis by Public Health England. The "Hepatitis C in the UK - 2014 Report" can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hepatitis-c-in-the-uk. Figures 32 and 33 show the latest available data up to 2013.
It is estimated that across Wales in 2011 and 2012 nearly 1,500 individuals with hepatitis C infection were referred for specialist assessment; nearly 1,000 new referrals were seen by treatment services; over 400 individuals commenced on treatment and nearly 200 individuals achieved a sustained virologic response. This data is published by Public Health Wales at: http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/page.cfm?orgid=457&pid=68681.
Data for 2013 is currently being analysed and will be available in July 2015.
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Minister state how much the NHS in Wales has spent on hepatitis C medicines between 2010 and 2015? (WAQ68227)
Answer received on 22 January 2015
Mark Drakeford: A wide range of medicines are used in the treatment of patients with hepatitis C and some of these are also used in the treatment of other diseases. In general, prescription data linked to specific disease indications is not collected. It is therefore not possible to give an accurate figure on expenditure for medicines to treat hepatitis C.
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Minister state the number of individuals in Wales with the HCV infection that were given treatment for hepatitis C in the period 2010-2015, to include the number of those achieving a sustained virological response? (WAQ68228)
Answer received on 20 January 2015
Mark Drakeford: It is estimated that across Wales in 2011 and 2012 over 400 individuals commenced on treatment for hepatitis C and nearly 200 individuals achieved a sustained virologic response following treatment. This data is published by Public Health Wales at: http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/page.cfm?orgid=457&pid=68681.
Data for 2013 is currently being analysed and will be available in July 2015.