11.09.12
Recommendations for specialised services accepted
More health services for people with rare conditions will be planned and commissioned nationally instead of locally from April 2013.
A report has been published by the Clinical Advisory Group for Prescribed Services (CAG), discussing which specialist services for sufferers of rare conditions and illnesses should be commissioned in England.
The CAG’s report recommends which specialist services treating uncommon conditions and illnesses should be nationally commissioned by the NHS Commissioning Board from April 2013.
The report involves recommendations for disorders including haemophilia, HIV and cleft lip and palate. Due to the rarity of the conditions, sufficient health services for treatments are not supplied at every hospital, and are local to larger towns and cities. The report aims to allow all patients equal access to high quality services despite where they live.
While Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) will remain responsible for buying and planning, specialised services are in need of alternate organisation and wider commissioning. The NHS’s developing national model will improve quality, efficiency, and service access, as well as reducing variation.
The chair of the CAG, Kathy McClean, has stated that the report will bring clarity to both clinicians and patients. Health minister Lord Howe accepted the core recommendations of the CAG’s report, and has thanked the group for their work.
The Department of Health will now approach the NHS Commissioning Board and discuss the recommendations. A final set of specific regulations will be published towards the end of the year.
The report is at: www.dh.gov.uk/health/files/2012/09/FINAL-CAG-Report-Published-PDF-Version.pdf
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