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Impact of PERT shortages investigated by House of Lords
In August 2025, the House of Lords Public Services Committee launched an inquiry into how medicine supply issues in England are tackled and what could be done to deal with future issues. They have now published their report, summarising the evidence and making recommendations.
Cystic Fibrosis Trust responded to the Committee's call for evidence, highlighting the ongoing supply issues with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapies (PERTs), like Creon, and the impact this has had on the CF community.
As part of our submission, we were able to share data from our recent community survey, which gave us a valuable insight into your experiences of accessing PERT in 2025.
In the report, the experience of the cystic fibrosis community is used as a key case study to represent the impact of medicines shortages on patients.
We are grateful to everyone who told us about their experiences, including Isabelle who said “my life is on hold”, and Adam who said “It’s not just physical; it affects your mood, your concentration, and relationships”. Some of these experiences can be read in our blog posts here and here.
The Committee has made a number of recommendations that could support the NHS's ability to predict, prevent and respond to medicines shortages.
In particular, we welcome the call for better communication of shortages to GPs, hospitals and pharmacies so they can take necessary action to support patients, as we know that many people in the CF community have received confusing or contradictory information from healthcare professionals about Creon.
We're pleased to see the committee recognise the challenges that people with CF have faced accessing PERT, and the need for action to address medicine supply issues.
David Ramsden, Cystic Fibrosis Trust Chief Executive
We look forward to seeing the Government's response to the report and will continue to speak up for everyone impacted by CF.
We will continue to work with the Government to make sure a long-term resolution to shortages is achieved and everyone with CF is able to access the medicines they need.
If you need more information or support regarding PERT, or any aspect of cystic fibrosis, please contact our Helpline or visit the Creon hub on our website. Lines are open Monday–Friday, 10am–4pm.
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