Gillian recently attended an event after she was written to by a constituent with a child who has cystic fibrosis (CF).
Cystic fibrosis is a chronic, life-shortening condition that affects over 10,400 people in the UK. Last year, half of all people with CF who died were under the age of 31.
The Chichester MP met with representatives from the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, to learn more about Orkambi, which is the first precision medicine that tackles the underlying cause of CF for a majority of people rather than merely managing the symptoms. Orkambi is not a cure, but it has been found to slow decline in lung function – the most common cause of death for people with CF – by 42%. Orkambi has also been shown to cut the number of infections requiring hospitalization by 61%. This gives people more control over their lives, and greater quality of life (as well as freeing up hospital beds).
Gillian supported calls to ask the Health Minister to do all he can to ensure people with Cystic Fibrosis get access to new medicines that could prolong and enhance their lives.
The event brought together parliamentarians and constituents affected by the condition to support the campaign for access to new medicines for those with Cystic Fibrosis and raise awareness of the issue.