The National Information Board framework Personalised Health and Care 2020 published in November 2014 outlined by 2020 all care records will be digital real-time and interoperable. Progress is being made and the recent announcement of significant investment in digital technology will help support the National Health Service to achieve this commitment.

The Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has not directly funded any specific research on Patau’s or Edwards’ syndromes during the last five years. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including Patau’s and Edwards’ syndromes. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. In all disease areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity.

The Research Councils support investigator-led research in response to proposals from the academic community and do not normally allocate funds to particular topics. The Medical Research Council (MRC) welcomes high quality applications for support into any aspect of human health. Proposals are subject to peer review and judged in open competition with other demands on funding. MRC awards are made according to their scientific quality and importance to human health and therefore information on future funding that may be awarded for this area is not available.

The Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has not directly funded any specific research on Patau’s or Edwards’ syndromes during the last five years. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including Patau’s and Edwards’ syndromes. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. In all disease areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity.

The Research Councils support investigator-led research in response to proposals from the academic community and do not normally allocate funds to particular topics. The Medical Research Council (MRC) welcomes high quality applications for support into any aspect of human health. Proposals are subject to peer review and judged in open competition with other demands on funding. MRC awards are made according to their scientific quality and importance to human health and therefore information on future funding that may be awarded for this area is not available.

The following table shows expenditure on research relating to Parkinson’s disease by the Medical Research Council, and by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) through its research programmes, research centres and units, and research fellowships.

£ million

Total spend by the NIHR on research relating to Parkinson’s disease is higher than the figures shown because expenditure by the NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) on these diseases cannot be disaggregated from total CRN expenditure.

Information on the cost of medicines to treat Parkinson’s disease for the last five financial years is shown in the following table. The table reflects community dispensing only, where the drugs are mainly dispensed.

Source: Prescription Cost Analysis provided by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (primary care)

NIC is the basic cost of a drug. It does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees or prescription charges income.