That this House expresses its dismay at draft NICE guidance restricting the use of photodynamic therapy for wet age related macular degeneration to those affected in both eyes; notes that this condemns thousands of people to blindness in one eye and increases the risk that injury or disease to the other eye could lead to blindness or severe visual impairment; notes that many patients will not be prepared to accept this situation and will therefore feel obliged to pay for treatment thereby building a two-tier service; further notes that the existing difficulties in achieving early diagnosis and referral of this condition will be exacerbated by such guidance; further questions what evidence justifies the draft guidance that an eye with worse sight than 6/36 should not be treated; and calls on the Government to intervene to ensure that this draft guidance is changed so that a patient affected in one eye may be treated, and to make a clear statement that there are no plans for treatment for other eye conditions such as cataract, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy to be rationed in that it is available only to those affected in both eyes.

That this House expresses its dismay at draft NICE guidance restricting the use of photodynamic therapy for wet age related macular degeneration to those affected in both eyes; notes that this condemns thousands of people to blindness in one eye and increases the risk that injury or disease to the...

That this House congratulates the National Asthma Campaign for its continued fight to conquer asthma, a serious problem which deserves attention; notes new evidence that shows pollution can cause asthma and calls for a programme of research into the causes of asthma; further notes that the charity wants every person with asthma to have equal access high quality care and treatment according to nationally agreed standards of care; and calls on the Government to make a clear statement about the priority it attaches to asthma, the incidence of which is three to four times higher in adults and six times higher in children than 25 years ago.

That this House congratulates the National Asthma Campaign for its continued fight to conquer asthma, a serious problem which deserves attention; notes new evidence that shows pollution can cause asthma and calls for a programme of research into the causes of asthma; further notes that the charity wants every person...

That this House expresses its concern that the European Commission has adopted a proposal for a Directive on Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products, which fails to safeguard the future availability in the UK of safe herbal remedies, which are currently on sale, but exempt from licensing as medicines; notes that the proposed directive unreasonably requires 30 years' continuous medicinal usage to obtain a licence, unrealistically demands immediate compliance with technical requirements more suited to pharmaceuticals and excludes many safe and popular products; and calls on the Government to make vigorous efforts to secure amendments to the proposal so as to protect consumers' choice and the livelihood of many hundreds of health food retailers.

That this House expresses its concern that the European Commission has adopted a proposal for a Directive on Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products, which fails to safeguard the future availability in the UK of safe herbal remedies, which are currently on sale, but exempt from licensing as medicines; notes that the...

That this House notes with concern the findings of the Zito Trust Report 'The Practice Gap in Schizophrenia' that many patients with severe mental illness are being denied access to modern drugs which reduce the devastating side-effects of some older treatments and that there are huge regional variations in prescribing rates for the modern medicines; notes that NICE is currently appraising these modern medicines, but is forced by government inappropriately to take affordability into account in doing so; further notes that widespread general concern amongst mental health professionals, users and carers that the Government is not delivering improvements in treatment; and urges the Government to take steps to ensure that mental health is a secure priority and that promised improvements are achieved in practice.

That this House notes with concern the findings of the Zito Trust Report 'The Practice Gap in Schizophrenia' that many patients with severe mental illness are being denied access to modern drugs which reduce the devastating side-effects of some older treatments and that there are huge regional variations in prescribing...