Specifically on atopic dermatitis, and the prescribing of appropriate emollients, the relevant doctor or healthcare professional is responsible for working with their patient and deciding on the best course of treatment. Prescribers take account of appropriate national guidance on clinical effectiveness, as well as the local commissioning decisions of their respective integrated care boards when making decisions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) also publishes a range of guidance on atopic dermatitis and other skin conditions for commissioners and healthcare professionals, with recommendations for diagnosis and referral, which are available at the NICE website.

On dermatology care in general, waiting times, and the proposal for a national service framework, I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer that I provided her on 13 January in response to Question HL13259, which, for ease of reference, is reproduced below:

Modern service frameworks will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and will then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. The Government will consider clinical specialities for future waves of modern service frameworks, including allergy, dermatology, which includes chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), and immunology. The criteria for determining other conditions for future modern service frameworks will be based on disease burden, care variation, economic impact, and where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in the quality of care and productivity.

The Department recognises the potential benefits of virtual clinics in improving access to specialist care for conditions like CSU. A central part of our 10-Year Health Plan is moving care closer to home, and we recognise that we need to do this while retaining access to specialist support. Trusts should provide the infrastructure and resources to facilitate virtual consultations, but this should not replace face-to-face care where it is more appropriate, dependent on clinical need, or preferred by individual patients.

NHS England’s service specification for specialised dermatology services for adults and children is designed to reduce regional disparities in care for CSU by setting consistent national standards for diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. The specification ensures that all patients, regardless of location, have access to evidence-based interventions and specialist expertise, including advanced therapies where clinically appropriate. The specification addresses historical variations in service provision and supports equitable access across integrated care systems. This approach helps to improve outcomes for patients with CSU and ensures a more uniform level of care throughout England.

Additionally, NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time programme is working to improve capacity and waiting times through its established Further Faster programme. This programme brings together hospital trust clinicians and operational teams with the challenge of collectively going ‘further and faster’ to transform patient pathways, reduce unnecessary follow-up outpatient appointments, and improve access and waiting times for patients.

A Further Faster handbook for dermatology has been produced, to share best practice and support National Health Service dermatology teams to reduce the number of Did Not Attend appointments, reduce unnecessary follow ups and, where appropriate, reduce the number of outpatient appointments by booking patients straight to tests, helping to free up capacity for patients in need of specialist dermatology services.

Specifically on atopic dermatitis, and the prescribing of appropriate emollients, the relevant doctor or healthcare professional is responsible for working with their patient and deciding on the best course of treatment. Prescribers take account of appropriate national guidance on clinical effectiveness, as well as the local commissioning decisions of their respective integrated care boards when making decisions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) also publishes a range of guidance on atopic dermatitis and other skin conditions for commissioners and healthcare professionals, with recommendations for diagnosis and referral, which are available at the NICE website.

On dermatology care in general, waiting times, and the proposal for a national service framework, I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer that I provided her on 13 January in response to Question HL13259, which, for ease of reference, is reproduced below:

Modern service frameworks will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and will then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. The Government will consider clinical specialities for future waves of modern service frameworks, including allergy, dermatology, which includes chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), and immunology. The criteria for determining other conditions for future modern service frameworks will be based on disease burden, care variation, economic impact, and where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in the quality of care and productivity.

The Department recognises the potential benefits of virtual clinics in improving access to specialist care for conditions like CSU. A central part of our 10-Year Health Plan is moving care closer to home, and we recognise that we need to do this while retaining access to specialist support. Trusts should provide the infrastructure and resources to facilitate virtual consultations, but this should not replace face-to-face care where it is more appropriate, dependent on clinical need, or preferred by individual patients.

NHS England’s service specification for specialised dermatology services for adults and children is designed to reduce regional disparities in care for CSU by setting consistent national standards for diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. The specification ensures that all patients, regardless of location, have access to evidence-based interventions and specialist expertise, including advanced therapies where clinically appropriate. The specification addresses historical variations in service provision and supports equitable access across integrated care systems. This approach helps to improve outcomes for patients with CSU and ensures a more uniform level of care throughout England.

Additionally, NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time programme is working to improve capacity and waiting times through its established Further Faster programme. This programme brings together hospital trust clinicians and operational teams with the challenge of collectively going ‘further and faster’ to transform patient pathways, reduce unnecessary follow-up outpatient appointments, and improve access and waiting times for patients.

A Further Faster handbook for dermatology has been produced, to share best practice and support National Health Service dermatology teams to reduce the number of Did Not Attend appointments, reduce unnecessary follow ups and, where appropriate, reduce the number of outpatient appointments by booking patients straight to tests, helping to free up capacity for patients in need of specialist dermatology services.

Specifically on atopic dermatitis, and the prescribing of appropriate emollients, the relevant doctor or healthcare professional is responsible for working with their patient and deciding on the best course of treatment. Prescribers take account of appropriate national guidance on clinical effectiveness, as well as the local commissioning decisions of their respective integrated care boards when making decisions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) also publishes a range of guidance on atopic dermatitis and other skin conditions for commissioners and healthcare professionals, with recommendations for diagnosis and referral, which are available at the NICE website.

On dermatology care in general, waiting times, and the proposal for a national service framework, I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer that I provided her on 13 January in response to Question HL13259, which, for ease of reference, is reproduced below:

Modern service frameworks will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and will then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. The Government will consider clinical specialities for future waves of modern service frameworks, including allergy, dermatology, which includes chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), and immunology. The criteria for determining other conditions for future modern service frameworks will be based on disease burden, care variation, economic impact, and where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in the quality of care and productivity.

The Department recognises the potential benefits of virtual clinics in improving access to specialist care for conditions like CSU. A central part of our 10-Year Health Plan is moving care closer to home, and we recognise that we need to do this while retaining access to specialist support. Trusts should provide the infrastructure and resources to facilitate virtual consultations, but this should not replace face-to-face care where it is more appropriate, dependent on clinical need, or preferred by individual patients.

NHS England’s service specification for specialised dermatology services for adults and children is designed to reduce regional disparities in care for CSU by setting consistent national standards for diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. The specification ensures that all patients, regardless of location, have access to evidence-based interventions and specialist expertise, including advanced therapies where clinically appropriate. The specification addresses historical variations in service provision and supports equitable access across integrated care systems. This approach helps to improve outcomes for patients with CSU and ensures a more uniform level of care throughout England.

Additionally, NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time programme is working to improve capacity and waiting times through its established Further Faster programme. This programme brings together hospital trust clinicians and operational teams with the challenge of collectively going ‘further and faster’ to transform patient pathways, reduce unnecessary follow-up outpatient appointments, and improve access and waiting times for patients.

A Further Faster handbook for dermatology has been produced, to share best practice and support National Health Service dermatology teams to reduce the number of Did Not Attend appointments, reduce unnecessary follow ups and, where appropriate, reduce the number of outpatient appointments by booking patients straight to tests, helping to free up capacity for patients in need of specialist dermatology services.

Specifically on atopic dermatitis, and the prescribing of appropriate emollients, the relevant doctor or healthcare professional is responsible for working with their patient and deciding on the best course of treatment. Prescribers take account of appropriate national guidance on clinical effectiveness, as well as the local commissioning decisions of their respective integrated care boards when making decisions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) also publishes a range of guidance on atopic dermatitis and other skin conditions for commissioners and healthcare professionals, with recommendations for diagnosis and referral, which are available at the NICE website.

On dermatology care in general, waiting times, and the proposal for a national service framework, I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer that I provided her on 13 January in response to Question HL13259, which, for ease of reference, is reproduced below:

Modern service frameworks will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and will then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. The Government will consider clinical specialities for future waves of modern service frameworks, including allergy, dermatology, which includes chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), and immunology. The criteria for determining other conditions for future modern service frameworks will be based on disease burden, care variation, economic impact, and where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in the quality of care and productivity.

The Department recognises the potential benefits of virtual clinics in improving access to specialist care for conditions like CSU. A central part of our 10-Year Health Plan is moving care closer to home, and we recognise that we need to do this while retaining access to specialist support. Trusts should provide the infrastructure and resources to facilitate virtual consultations, but this should not replace face-to-face care where it is more appropriate, dependent on clinical need, or preferred by individual patients.

NHS England’s service specification for specialised dermatology services for adults and children is designed to reduce regional disparities in care for CSU by setting consistent national standards for diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. The specification ensures that all patients, regardless of location, have access to evidence-based interventions and specialist expertise, including advanced therapies where clinically appropriate. The specification addresses historical variations in service provision and supports equitable access across integrated care systems. This approach helps to improve outcomes for patients with CSU and ensures a more uniform level of care throughout England.

Additionally, NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time programme is working to improve capacity and waiting times through its established Further Faster programme. This programme brings together hospital trust clinicians and operational teams with the challenge of collectively going ‘further and faster’ to transform patient pathways, reduce unnecessary follow-up outpatient appointments, and improve access and waiting times for patients.

A Further Faster handbook for dermatology has been produced, to share best practice and support National Health Service dermatology teams to reduce the number of Did Not Attend appointments, reduce unnecessary follow ups and, where appropriate, reduce the number of outpatient appointments by booking patients straight to tests, helping to free up capacity for patients in need of specialist dermatology services.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) invests £1.5 billion per year on health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The NIHR supports and delivers research in the following many aspects skin and dermatological conditions including linking genetic research and personalised medicine with common skin diseases such as acne, drug reactions, eczema, and psoriasis and skin cancers including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. It also supports research into skin infections such as herpes simplex, fungal infections, impetigo and cellulitis along with children’s skin disorders and rare skin diseases.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects and strategic investments. Dermatology research supported by MRC covers the breadth of skin and skin associated diseases including inflammatory skin disease, atopic dermatitis (eczema) and skin cancer research. This includes basic biological mechanisms of disease to early-stage interventions such as diagnostics and treatment development.

In addition to the individual awards stated below, MRC supports other active research grants in the noted areas through strategic awards made to MRC Research Units.

- The Translational skin immunology programme at the MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit at the University of Oxford investigates the role of T-cells in Inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis.

- The Translational Melanoma Research Group from the MRC Human Genetics Unit at the University of Edinburgh is investigating the mechanisms of melanoma development & drug resistance through their programme Targeting developmental cell states in melanoma

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The Department regularly holds discussions with colleagues in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) about its guidelines programme. NICE has reviewed its guideline portfolio to identify topics that it thinks will add the most value to the health and care system, considering key factors such as clinical benefit, cost effectiveness, the potential to increase productivity and support workforce issues and the potential to address health inequalities.

Atopic dermatitis (eczema) in young people and adults is one of the topics on which NICE will stop work for the time being to allow them to focus on key priorities. Topics that have been stopped will be reconsidered by NICE’s prioritisation board which is being established in Spring 2024 by its chief medical officer.

Whilst we have made no specific assessment of Demos’ report, or the economic impact of atopic dermatitis on people living with the condition, or on the National Health Service and the wider economy, we recognise the impact that skin conditions can have on all aspects of life and the importance of ensuring that those affected receive the treatment and support that they need.

To support people with skin conditions, such as atopic dermatitis, the Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) national report for dermatology makes specific recommendations to ensure early access to diagnosis and treatment across England.

GIRFT is a national programme designed to improve the treatment and care of patients through in-depth review of services, benchmarking and presenting a data-driven evidence base to support change.

A limited range of products, including emollient bath oils, wash creams and moisturising creams and lotions can be prescribed in line with advice from the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances. It is for the general practitioner and other responsible clinicians to work with their patient and decide on the course of treatment, with the provision of the most clinically appropriate care for the individual always being the primary consideration. Clinicians are accountable for their prescribing decisions, both professionally and to their service commissioners.

The information is not collected in the format requested.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) publishes a range of guidance on atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema, and other skin conditions for commissioners and healthcare professionals, with recommendations for diagnosis and referral. The guideline for atopic dermatitis in children aged under 12 years is being updated with draft recommendations published in June 2023. NHS England has made a referral to NICE to develop new guidance on atopic dermatitis in adults.

Whilst NICE guidelines are not mandatory, the Government would expect patients presenting with atopic dermatitis symptoms to be managed according to clinical need and in line with all current guidance.

No one is excluded from the Government’s cost of living support as a consequence of a health condition or disability such as eczema. Those with needs arising from such a condition may be entitled to the full range of support depending on their circumstances, including access to an extra costs disability benefit such as the Personal Independence Payment.

In addition, for 2023/24, households on eligible means-tested benefits will get up to £900 in Cost-of-Living Payments. This will be split into three payments of around £300 each across the year.

We recognise that people’s mental and physical health are intrinsically linked, and people with long term physical health conditions, such as eczema, may also need emotional and psychological support. We are investing at least £2.3 billion of extra funding a year in expanding and transforming mental health services in England by March 2024. This will enable an extra two million people to be treated by mental health services within the National Health Service by March 2024.

Mental Health is one of the group of conditions included in the Department’s Major Conditions Strategy. The strategy will aim to identify actions in the areas of prevention, treatment, and long-term management of care to improve outcomes for individuals across the six major condition groups.

We have continued to expand NHS talking therapies services for all adults with common mental health problems. These services are accessible to all adults in England. People can be referred by a range of practitioners or refer themselves.

No one is excluded from the Government’s cost of living support as a consequence of a health condition or disability such as eczema. Those with needs arising from such a condition may be entitled to the full range of support depending on their circumstances, including access to an extra costs disability benefit such as the Personal Independence Payment.

In addition, for 2023/24, households on eligible means-tested benefits will get up to £900 in Cost-of-Living Payments. This will be split into three payments of around £300 each across the year.

We recognise that people’s mental and physical health are intrinsically linked, and people with long term physical health conditions, such as eczema, may also need emotional and psychological support. We are investing at least £2.3 billion of extra funding a year in expanding and transforming mental health services in England by March 2024. This will enable an extra two million people to be treated by mental health services within the National Health Service by March 2024.

Mental Health is one of the group of conditions included in the Department’s Major Conditions Strategy. The strategy will aim to identify actions in the areas of prevention, treatment, and long-term management of care to improve outcomes for individuals across the six major condition groups.

We have continued to expand NHS talking therapies services for all adults with common mental health problems. These services are accessible to all adults in England. People can be referred by a range of practitioners or refer themselves.

Training programmes for healthcare professionals must meet the standards set by the regulatory body for their profession. Whilst not all curricula may necessarily highlight a specific condition, they all nevertheless emphasise the skills and approaches a Health Care Practitioner must develop to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients.

The standard of training for health care professionals is the responsibility of the independent statutory health care regulatory bodies, which set the outcome standards expected at undergraduate level and approve courses, and higher education institutions which write and teach the curricula content that enables their students to meet the regulators’ outcome standards.

Individual employers are responsible for ensuring their staff are trained and competent to carry out their role, including ensuring staff are aware of care pathways and referral routes for those living with moderate to severe atopic eczema.

Opzelura (ruxolitinib), is currently not approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The MHRA has noted that the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use issued a positive opinion for this on the 23 of February 2023 and is currently pending European Commission (EC) approval.

Should an application for Opzelura be received by the MHRA, we have processes in place to review this and, if appropriate, issue a licence in line with an EC decision.

Integrated care boards are responsible for working with local communities to understand the needs of the local population and to commission services to meet those needs, including for patients with atopic dermatitis and other skin conditions.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) publishes guidance on atopic dermatitis and other skin conditions, which commissioners are expected to take into account. The guideline for atopic dermatitis in those aged under 12 years old is being updated, with draft recommendations to be published in April 2023. A referral has also been made to NICE to develop a new guidance on atopic dermatitis in adults.

Integrated care boards (ICB) are responsible for working with local commissioners and organisations to understand the needs of the local population and commission services to meet those needs, including for patients with atopic dermatitis and other skin conditions. ICBs have a legal duty to have due regard to NICE’s guidelines.

No specific estimate has been made as the information requested is not collected.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has made recommendations on the use of the biological medicines dupilumab and tralokinumab for the treatment of atopic dermatitis. National Health Service commissioners in England are legally required to make funding available for NICE-recommended treatments to allow clinicians to prescribe to patients, normally within three months of NICE’s guidance.

The information is not collected in the format requested.