New funding

Monday 24 October

NI Health Minister Edwin Poots has announced additional funding for anti-TNF and biological treatments just weeks after speaking at an Arthritis Care event at Stormont. The Department of Health has received an additional £25m from the Executive, and £5m of that will go to paying for the treatments for severe RA and for other specialist drugs.

Mr Poots said: “Recently I outlined in the Assembly my intention to address the problem of access to specialist drugs and other NICE recommended treatments. The shortfall is unacceptable. This funding will provide specialist drugs such as anti TNFs/ biologic treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis, cochlear implants and also address the backlog in accessing drug therapies including treatment for cancer, hepatitis C, growth failure in children, rheumatoid arthritis and eye disease.

“This is good news for hundreds of people waiting for life-enhancing treatments. This allocation is of real importance in correcting a serious gap in the access to therapies which can relieve symptoms and, in some cases, extend life. This is a demonstration of my commitment to providing life-enhancing drugs. This funding will assist in this regard this year, but it is essential that we find a longer-term stream of funding to ensure their availability going forward.”

Mr Poots spoke at the Arthritis Care Professional Lecture at Stormont on September 29, where he acknowledged the enormous difference these drugs can make to people’s lives and pledged to reduce waiting times for access to them.

Steve McBride, Arthritis Care’s Policy Adviser, said ‘The Minister’s support and this additional funding are very welcome. We will continue to press for a permanent end to the unacceptable situation whereby people in Northern Ireland are waiting far longer for these life transforming treatments than people in other parts of the UK’.