Vol. 401 No. 5
18 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Health if his Department intends to provide funds for testing to determine when AIDS patients can best benefit from AZT therapy; if his attention has been drawn to the concern expressed by AIDS specialists at the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The placing of persons with HIV on early-intervention therapies, such as AZT, is a very recent development and current indicators are that early-intervention therapies should be associated with regular testing of patients to monitor T4 Cell Counts. The Department of Health is currently considering the information available in this matter with a view towards developing a suitable and cost-effective early-intervention/T4 Cell Testing protocol.
The Minister will beaware that a leading consultant attached to the AIDS unit at St. James's Hospital has been critical of the failure of provide funding for the investigation of the T4 cell testing. In view of the fact that this has proved to be a success in the United States, in Europe and in the UK generally, would the Minister not agree that it is urgent and funds should be provided forthwith?
This early intervention therapy is relatively new. Indeed, it is only lately that it assumed any international profile — at the recent conference in San Francisco. The protocol for carrying out the T cell testing is different in different countries. For example, the threshold is 500 in America whereas it is 200 in Europe. We are considering a suitable protocol for this country. Anything that will improve the life or health of persons suffering from HIV is available to them in this country and will continue to be available to them as they need it.
In relation to the administration of AZT in St. James's Hospital, is the Minister aware how costly this treatment is, at least £4,000 per patient per annum and St. James's Hospital have not been given any special funding to meet this and, therefore, there are constraints within which they operate? Will the Minister now give an assurance that the funding for any patient that requires AZT will be covered by the Department and will not come out of the overall St. James's budget in view of the costly nature of this drug?
I cannot give an assurance like that. The St. James's Hospital will receive a budget this year of approximately £44 million, far and away the largest of any hospital in the country. Included in that is sufficient moneys to ensure that patients who need treatment for HIV or AIDS who go to St. James's will get proper treatment, and all patients do not go to St. James's. Many are treated in other places.
AZT is only administered at St. James's.
AZT is available to patients who need it. The cost of a programme of T cell testing would be £1 million, but if we are satisfied that that programme is necessary for the benefit of patients with HIV, it will be put in place, as have all other treatments recognised worldwide. Indeed, we are ahead of other countries in the number of products licensed here for use with HIV patients that are not licensed in many other countries.
