To ask the Minister of Health to detail the number of drugs and treatment options that are not offered in Northern Ireland but that are approved and offered to patients in England and Wales for (i) cancer patients; and (ii) patients with a life-limiting condition.

The information sought is not readily available as my Department does not hold a record of treatments which are available in other parts of the UK.

My Department has a formal link with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) under which NICE Technology Appraisals are reviewed locally for their legal and policy applicability. Where found to be applicable, they are endorsed for implementation within Health and Social Care (HSC) organisations. In practice, this means that treatments that have been recommended by NICE for routine use in the NHS in England are also available in Northern Ireland. The arrangements are set out in the Department of Health Circular HSC (SQSD) 12/22.

My Department conducted a review of HSC medicines access arrangements in October 2025. The review included a number of recommendations aimed at ensuring continued access to clinically and cost-effective medicines for the Northern Ireland population on an equitable basis, including where NICE has not made a determination, but the use is supported by clinical evidence and best practice. Work to take forward the recommendations of the review is now progressing.