Meetings

The Committee agreed to close the petition because considerable time has passed since the last contact with the petitioner.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to:

·         ask the Minister what steps he has taken specifically to consult HIV patients on the guidelines; and

·         seek views from HIV patient groups on the issue.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to:

·         the Minister to ask:

o   whether his officials are in a position to give further details about how the estimate of £15 million has been arrived at and what proportion of this can be attributed to savings on antiretroviral HIV medicine; and

o   for specific information on the reasons behind the current prescribing intervals for antiretroviral medicines; and

·         the petitioner asking for comments on the Minister’s letter and associated information.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to the Minister asking for his views on the petitioner’s comments.  In particular:

·         the extent to which clinicians may depart from guidance;

·         the calculation of the £15-50 million estimate of savings and the reason for the wide variation in the two figures; and

·         ask the Minister whether the guidance is used in the NHS in other parts of the UK.

The Committee considered also agreed, in the light of the reference in the Local Health Board’s letter to write to the LHB asking for more information on the assessment made by Sexual Health Consultants of problems incurred by patients.

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to;

·         the Minister for Health and Social Services; and

·         Cardiff and Vale LHB seeking their views on the petition.