NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR CLINICAL EXCELLENCE DECISION ON ALZHEIMER'S TREATMENT

Early day motion 824, tabled 2 March 2005 by Helen Clark (Labour). Signed by 104 members.

That this House notes that Alzheimer's disease currently affects nearly half a million people in the UK and that it is a chronic, progressive, degenerative and distressing disease for which there is no cure; deplores the cost-cutting plans of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence which will deny vital drugs to hundreds of thousands of Alzheimer's sufferers, claiming that they are too expensive when they would cost the National Health Service a meagre ú2.50 per day; further notes that the effective proposed ban on these drugs is not based on their safety and efficacy but simply on the interpretation of a statistical model of cost-effectiveness; further notes that doctors have condemned this decision as a disaster for patients, their families and carers; and that they believe that it would be irresponsible to deny patients and their carers the benefits of these treatments; further notes that the decision goes against good clinical practice and represents a callous disregard for elderly people; recognises that the Government should recommend drugs based on clinical need; applauds the Daily Mail's campaign for the retention of these drugs; and calls upon the Government to reject this advice.

Signatures by party: Labour 65, Liberal Democrat 14, Conservative 11, Labour/Co-operative 7, DUP 3, Plaid Cymru 2, UUP 2.