PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Dialysis Machines: Energy (17 May 2022)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the reimbursement of costs incurred from dialysis of patients with chronic kidney disease who are treated at home, what steps his Department is taking with NHS England to ensure the 2022/23 National Tariff Payment System will reflect changes to energy prices.

Asked by:
Feryal Clark (Labour)

Provisions are in place for patients receiving haemodialysis treatment at home to be reimbursed for additional direct energy costs as a result of their treatment. NHS England meets these additional direct utility costs through the payment of the national tariff to the patient’s usual dialysis provider. The amount reimbursed by the the patient’s provider is expected to match increases in energy unit prices.

There is no nationally set price for home haemodialysis and providers and commissioners should agree the appropriate level of funding locally. However, the tariff contains Best Practice Tariff prices for adult renal dialysis, which includes prices for home haemodialysis. In the 2022/23 tariff, the Best Practice price is expected to cover the direct additional utility costs incurred by the patient. NHS England is promoting awareness of these arrangements directly to all commissioned providers and renal clinical networks to alert eligible patients that reimbursements are available.

Answered by:
Maria Caulfield (Conservative)
24 May 2022