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Written question asked by Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Baroness Thornton (Labour) on Thursday, 21 January 2010.


Health: Haematology

Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Thornton on 5 January (WA 51), why the National Health Service can accept the withdrawal by Roche of CoaguChek S strips and equipment and its replacement by alternative equipment without being satisfied following tests that CoaguChek S equipment is not an accurate means for the testing of blood.
Answer

CoaguChek XS is supplied by Roche and is an incremental upgrade of CoaguChek S. Three documents evaluating CoaguChek S and CoaguChek XS are available on the National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA) website (www.pasa.nhs.uk). They are entitled: "Patient self-testing using the Roche CoaguChek S" (MHRA 04002); "Patient self-management using the CoaguChek S" (Report 05050); and "CoaguChek XS System" (Report 06034). In addition, both items of equipment are featured in a Centre for Evidence-based Purchasing buyers' guide, which is also available on the NHS PASA website. This document is entitled "Point of Care Coagulators for Monitoring Oral Anticoagulation" (CEP 07026). Copies of all four documents have been placed in the Library. The links to these documents are as follows: www.pasa.nhs.uk/pasa/Doc.aspx?Path=%5bMN%5d%5bSP%5d/NHSprocurement/CEP/POC/MHRA%2004002.pdf www.pasa.nhs.uk/pasa/Doc.aspx?Path=%5bMN%5d%5bSP%5d/NHSprocurement/CEP/POC/Report 05050.pdf www.pasa.nhs.uk/pasa/Doc.aspx?Path=%5bMN%5d%5bSP%5d/NHSprocurement/CEP/POC/Report%2006034.pdf; and www.pasa.nhs.uk/pasa/Doc.aspx?Path=%5bMN%5d%5bSP%5d/NHSprocurement/CEP/POC/CEP07026.pdf The department understands that this equipment is purchased directly by patients or may be provided to them at local level by the NHS. Information about costs to the NHS is not held centrally. The department is unaware of any formal commercial arrangements in place between the NHS and the supplier and therefore the company will not have been required to make any formal requests to the NHS or patients to switch from the old to the new meter. The department is unaware of any discussions held with the manufacturer and has no plans to discuss this product with medical supply companies. This corrects the information given to the noble Lord on 5 January 2010 (Official Report, col. WA 51).


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
1082; 716 c278-9WA
Session
2009-10
Related items
Deposited Paper DEP2010-0173
Thursday, 21 January 2010
Deposited papers
House of Lords
Health: Haematology
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Written questions
House of Lords
Subjects
Blood NHS Procurement Medical equipment Standards Screening
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk