PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Sickle Cell Diseases: Health Services (7 March 2022)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to paragraph 19 of the NICE report entitled The NICE methods of health technology evaluation: the case for change, published in November 2020, what assessment his Department has made of potential impact of introducing a health inequalities modifier to patient access to treatments for sickle cell disease.

Asked by:
Marsha De Cordova (Labour)

No such assessment has been made. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for its procedures and recently concluded a review of its methods and processes for health technology evaluation. NICE considered health inequalities as part of the review and consulted on its proposals with stakeholders. Following this consultation, NICE concluded that more work is needed before a formalised modifier for health inequalities could be introduced.

Health inequalities are considered in all aspects of NICE’s work. NICE has committed to reducing health inequalities by prioritising areas which target specific populations or conditions where there is most variation in practice or outcomes, where there can be the greatest impact and to accelerate access to most effective treatments.

Answered by:
Edward Argar (Conservative)
14 March 2022