3. Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services: Progress on the New Treatment Fund

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:09 pm on 23 January 2018.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 3:09, 23 January 2018

Yes. On that last point about hepatitis C elimination, I don't think it's actually about the availability of the drugs. We're really fortunate in Wales to have a national strategy, and within the clinical community, the group of clinicians are very proud of having a national approach. Just because the centre is in Cardiff—. It is a genuinely national approach that people buy into and, to be fair, clinicians across the border think we've got it right as well. It's one of the stories you don't often hear about, but actually, people in England are looking at what we've done, how we've done that and why—and actually, it's not been a significant cost increase. But the point about elimination isn't so much about the drugs that are now available. It's really about reaching the harder-to-reach people who don't always engage in services. So, we recognise the reservoir of people still suffering with hepatitis C are people who are less likely to engage in health services per se. It actually is about the outreach part of it, rather than the innovation and the new drugs. 

I'm pleased to hear your welcome for the approach we've taken to approved medicines, which is an evidence-led approach. There's no curtailing of new medicines that the new treatment fund is actually delivering or suggesting. Actually, it's really about how and when medicines are developed. So, it's about the industry-led development that goes into it. I'm thinking I'll deal with your next point about horizon scanning. That's some of the things that we've—. We've actually managed to deliver an improvement in practical relationships. I've met with ABPI Cymru to have a conversation with them about the industry's approach, and I have made clear that, actually, we need to see better engagement with the healthcare system in Wales. So, actually, there have been better conversations between industry about making available earlier, information on those medicines that are likely—or more likely—to get to the point of coming to market and going to an appraisal process, to give health boards an earlier opportunity to plan for their potential implementation.

In fact, that's one of the points the ABPI themselves make in their press release today, which welcomes the fund, the establishment and, indeed, that particular point about being able to work together in a more grown-up way with the health service. Again, it points to the fact of having an evidence-led approach, and then particularly points to the fact that this fund covers all conditions, as opposed to just one parcel of conditions being covered in funding and access on a faster and more consistent basis.

I'll tell you how wide usage is: the point about having the new treatment fund available is that the treatments are available where they're clinically appropriate, and it's then down to a proper decision made between a healthcare professional and their patient about what's available. So, of the 82 medicines available, my understanding is that approximately 4,000 people in Wales have benefited from that faster access. So, I'm more than happy to return either to the Chamber or to committee in the future about the numbers of medicines and the spread and the reach of the new treatment fund. As we have more data available, I'm more than happy to make that available to Members and the wider public.