{"value":{"id":1909354,"askingMemberId":5040,"askingMember":null,"house":"Commons","memberHasInterest":false,"dateTabled":"2026-05-29T00:00:00","dateForAnswer":"2026-06-02T00:00:00","uin":"4309","questionText":"To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the provision of Clozapine; whether he has considered the potential merits of ensuring earlier consideration of Clozapine where clinically appropriate following unsuccessful treatment with other medications; what steps his Department is taking to improve clinician training and awareness on the prescribing and management of Clozapine; and what steps he is taking to improve collaboration between mental health services, patients, carers and families in decisions relating to Clozapine treatment and wider mental health care provision.","answeringBodyId":17,"answeringBodyName":"Department of Health and Social Care","isWithdrawn":false,"isNamedDay":false,"groupedQuestions":[],"answerIsHolding":false,"answerIsCorrection":false,"answeringMemberId":4603,"answeringMember":null,"correctingMemberId":null,"correctingMember":null,"dateAnswered":"2026-06-16T00:00:00","answerText":"<p>Decisions about whether to prescribe clozapine, including when it should be considered in a patient’s treatment pathway, are matters for the clinician responsible for a patient’s care. Prescribers are expected to take full account of individual clinical circumstances and to use their professional judgement in determining the most appropriate treatment.</p><p>Clinicians are supported by national guidance, including from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), on using clozapine for treatment-resistant schizophrenia. NICE keeps this guidance under review so it stays up to date. Anyone taking clozapine must have regular blood tests, including checks on white blood cells, neutrophils and platelets. This is because, in rare cases, clozapine can cause serious and potentially fatal blood problems.</p><p>Training, education, and awareness for clinicians are led locally by National Health Service organisations and informed by national clinical guidance. The Royal College of Psychiatrists has also produced training on the Wim’s Protocol, which was created to support improvement in clinician training and awareness around clozapine use. Further information on the Wim’s Protocol is available at the following link:</p><p><a href=\"https://elearninghub.rcpsych.ac.uk/products/Wims_protocol\" target=\"_blank\">https://elearninghub.rcpsych.ac.uk/products/Wims_protocol</a></p><p>Patients are central to decisions about their care. Clinicians should work with patients and, where appropriate, their carers and families to support shared decision-making, including discussing the benefits and risks of treatment options and tailoring care to individual needs and preferences.</p><p>NHS England is finalising guidance for mental health services to strengthen the involvement of families, carers, and support networks in planning and delivering care for people with severe mental health problems. The Mental Health Personalised Care Framework will help services deliver effective personalised care.</p>","originalAnswerText":"","comparableAnswerText":"","dateAnswerCorrected":null,"dateHoldingAnswer":null,"attachmentCount":0,"heading":"Clozapine","attachments":[],"groupedQuestionsDates":[]},"links":[{"rel":"self","href":"/Questions/1909354","method":"GET"}]}