A Welsh health board has been told it needs to "urgently establish an action plan" to ensure patients with multiple sclerosis in its area have access to a drug that could improve walking. The drug, fampridine, was approved by the Welsh Government as an NHS-funded treatment in December 2019.
However, despite almost five years having passed, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board has still not put in place arrangements to offer the drug to patients with MS. The health board has been told by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales that it needs to urgently come up with a plan, including a timescale, to ensure that patients can access the drug. It made the recommendations after carrying out an investigation following a complaint from a patient under the health board.
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According to a report from the health board, the Ombudsman discovered that there were around 500 people in the area who may be eligible for this treatment. MS is a condition that affects the brain and spinal cord - it can cause problems with vision, arm or leg movement and sensation or balance. For the latest health and Covid news, sign up to our newsletter here
The health board told the Ombudsman the treatment had not been offered due to a lack of resources, and that a business case for the drug to be introduced was in development. This included the need to recruit staff in order to ensure the safe roll-out of the drug.
Due to long wait lists for the drug at other health boards, Aneurin Bevan UHB said it was not able to refer patients elsewhere. Commenting on the report, Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, Michelle Morris, said: "Newly approved medicines should be offered within 60 days of approval by the Welsh Government. It is therefore concerning that fampridine is not being offered to any of the eligible patients within the Health Board’s area.
"Even if the Health Board’s own Pre-Investment Panel approves the funding immediately, the Health Board has estimated another three to six months to recruit staff. This means that the earliest fampridine could be offered to patients is the middle of 2024. This represents over four years since the approval of fampridine as an NHS-funded treatment in Wales.
"This delay is unacceptable. It has caused and continues to cause injustice to Mrs X, and other patients, who remain unclear as to when or if they will have access to this potentially life improving medication.”
The Ombudsman has recommended that the health board apologise to the patient, referred to as Mrs X, for the lack of provision of the treatment. The health board has been told it should come up with an action plan, with timescales for the provision of the treatment.
Ms Morris also asked the health board to share her report with members on the board, to ensure that good progress is made and that the actions are completed. The health board accepted the findings and agreed to implement the recommendations.
A spokesman for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said: “We are very sorry for Mrs X’s experience and will be contacting her to apologise for the distress this must have caused her. We are currently working through a plan to see how we can meet the Ombudsman’s recommendations in relation to the introduction of fampridine in our Health Board area.”
