Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 20 June 2018
20 Jun 2018 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Access to Medicines
It is not for the Government to do that—it is for the SMC. However, there were unlicensed medicines in that portfolio. If things have moved on, that is to be welcomed. Dialogue continues, of course, and there has been a lot of dialogue between Vertex and Scottish Government officials and also national procurement. From the last round of discussions, I hope that progress can be made and I certainly encourage that.
Willie Rennie raised an issue, and I want to be as clear as I can be in my response. He asked why the Perjeta deal was not available in Scotland. NHS England has come to a confidential commercial deal with Roche, the details of which cannot be shared between Administrations because of that commercial confidentiality. That is unlike the situation for standard discounts, whose details can be shared. That is why we need transparency and price parity written into the new PPRS scheme. I cannot emphasise that enough; it is very important. The lack of transparency prevents me from telling Willie Rennie some of the detail that might be quite helpful.
Willie Rennie rose—
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Linda Fabiani)
SNP
The next item of business is a debate on motion S5M-12856, in the name of Anas Sarwar, on access to vital medicines. We are a bit behind time already for thi...
Anas Sarwar (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
I stand here to stick up for patients in Scotland who have no voice: the patients with breast cancer or cystic fibrosis who have been denied access to vital,...
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport (Shona Robison)
SNP
In recent years, the Parliament has driven significant change in access to new medicines, for which the system is—rightly—independent of politicians. Reforms...
Anas Sarwar
Lab
The cabinet secretary mentioned that the PACS tier 2 process says explicitly that cost is not a consideration. Will she make funds to access such medicines a...
Shona Robison
SNP
First, it is still important to demonstrate clinical effectiveness. We have made funding available through the new medicines fund, which is funded through th...
Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Con)
Con
I am pleased to contribute to today’s debate about access to life-prolonging medicines and I thank the Labour Party for bringing it to the chamber. It is an ...
Alison Johnstone (Lothian) (Green)
Green
We all want patients to be able to access the treatments that they need without delay. It is unthinkable that patients’ health is deteriorating while medicin...
Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD)
LD
It is tough to watch and read about breast cancer patients and their ordeal. Who would not want to make policy changes when they learn about Jen Hardy, from ...
Shona Robison
SNP
One of the core principles that we want in the new PPRS deal is that the companies that offer a deal to one part of the UK must offer the same deal to all pa...
Willie Rennie
LD
I agree with that approach, but that does not explain why we are in the position that Wales and Northern Ireland seem to be moving ahead, alongside England, ...
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Lab
It was only a week ago that we had a members’ business debate on access to Orkambi. The Minister for Public Health and Sport’s response then was disappointin...
Shona Robison
SNP
Jackie Baillie raises an important point. The portfolio approach did include unlicensed medicines the safety of which remained unproven. I am glad that she s...
Jackie Baillie
Lab
I am suggesting that we can address it if we have those negotiations. All those other countries have, and negotiations on such an agreement are well under wa...
Ash Denham (Edinburgh Eastern) (SNP)
SNP
As the MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, I have met constituents for whom access to potentially life-altering medicines for themselves or their children is an incre...
Annie Wells (Glasgow) (Con)
Con
I thank the Labour Party for bringing an extremely important topic to the chamber for debate. I ask members to imagine a situation in which a family member ...
Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
I commend my colleague and friend Anas Sarwar for his persistent focus on access to medicines, which has allowed us to devote Labour’s debating time to the i...
Clare Haughey (Rutherglen) (SNP)
SNP
I refer members to my entry in the register of interests, which shows that I am a registered mental health nurse and that I currently hold an honorary contra...
Alexander Stewart (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
I am delighted to have the opportunity of taking part in today’s debate. I pay tribute to the Labour Party for bringing it to the chamber and to Anas Sarwar ...
Ivan McKee (Glasgow Provan) (SNP)
SNP
I welcome the opportunity to take part in this debate on access to new medicines. The member who lodged the motion and all of us in the chamber want to achie...
Jackie Baillie
Lab
Does the member agree that there is a gap between ultra-orphan medicines, which are covered by the new pathway, and the SMC process? There is nothing suitabl...
Ivan McKee
SNP
Everything needs to be looked at to make sure that there are no gaps. I have been outlining the changes that the Government has made. What it has done and wh...
The Presiding Officer (Ken Macintosh)
NPA
We move to the closing speeches. I am afraid that speeches must still be restricted to four minutes. 16:49
Brian Whittle (South Scotland) (Con)
Con
I am pleased to close the debate on behalf of the Scottish Conservative Party, and I thank the Labour Party for giving us the opportunity to highlight once a...
Shona Robison
SNP
It has been a good debate, in which we have heard some very powerful speeches. I hope that it has united the chamber in a number of respects; I will come bac...
Jackie Baillie
Lab
I did. Let me quote from a Vertex statement that was made following its meeting with the Scottish Government on 18 June. Vertex says that it will accelerate ...
Shona Robison
SNP
It is not for the Government to do that—it is for the SMC. However, there were unlicensed medicines in that portfolio. If things have moved on, that is to be...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I am sorry. There is no time to take an intervention, cabinet secretary. You must conclude.
Shona Robison
SNP
I will write to members about the specific issues that they raised, but the message that we can all agree on in this debate is that we want medicines to get ...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I call David Stewart to conclude the debate. 16:58
David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Lab
Thank you, Presiding Officer. This has been a productive debate with passionate and well-informed contributions from across the chamber. At one level, discus...