Advisory Group for National Specialised Services (AGNSS)
About 60 highly specialised services are commissioned nationally by the National Specialised Commissioning Team.
The Advisory Group for National Specialised Services (AGNSS) is a committee that advises health Ministers on which services should be nationally commissioned and the centres that should provide them.
Given the small number of patients or procedures involved and the very high level of clinical expertise required to provide such treatments, most nationally commissioned services are provided in a very small number of centres, usually no more than three or four. These centres of excellence are designated to provide national services. In order to ensure continued levels of excellence, the National Specialised Commissioning Team undertakes a renewal of designation process on each service, usually every five years.
The Advisory Group for National Specialised Services (AGNSS) was established following the consultation Strengthening National Commissioning. Its role is to advise Ministers on:
- which highly specialised services, products and health technologies should be, or no longer be, nationally commissioned;
- which centres should be designated as providers for nationally specialised commissioned services and whether to renew or withdraw the designation at the appropriate time; and
- the annual budget for new and existing nationally commissioned specialised services and the contribution required from Primary Care Trusts (PCTs).
AGNSS also supports the work of the NHS Specialised Services in developing the national specialised commissioning strategy and provides expert input to Ministers – including clinical advice – on national specialised commissioning.
AGNSS has endorsed a work plan for national specialised commissioning for 2011/12:
National Specialised Commissioning Group Work Plan 2012
National Specialised Commissioning Priorities 2011/12
AGNSS Agendas and Minutes
Eculizumab for the treatment of atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome
The Advisory Group for National Specialised Services (AGNSS) provides advice to Ministers on which services and technologies should be nationally commissioned and which providers should be designated to deliver them. AGNSS received an application for the drugs Eculizumab for the treatment of atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome (aHUS) to be included in national specialised commissioning arrangements. Following careful consideration of the application, AGNSS provided its advice to Ministers. Ministers agreed with AGNSS that there is evidence for the clinical effectiveness of Eculizumab for the treatment of atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome but wanted further advice on the affordability of the drug.
As AGNSS ceases to exist on 31 March, Ministers have asked NICE to consider Eculizumab for the treatment of atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome as part of its new Highly Specialised Technologies programme.
The documents that AGNSS used at its June 2012 meeting to reach its recommendation to Ministers are as follows:
- Scope for AGNSS review of Eculizumab for aHUS
- Manufacturer’s submission
- Health Technology Assessment report
- Patient submission
- aHUS Action Report: Atypical Haemolytic Uremic Syndrome: The Experiences of Patients and Families
- Summary paper
- Equality impact assessment
- Summary of the service application from The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
The conclusions that AGNSS reached are detailed in:
Some of these documents have been redacted because they contain information that is commercially sensitive. Some patient numbers have also been redacted because they might allow identification of individuals.
Documents will be published on this site as they become available.
Tafamidis for the treatment of familial amyloid polyneuropathy
The Advisory Group for National Specialised Services (AGNSS) provides advice to Ministers on which services and technologies should be nationally commissioned and which providers should be designated to deliver them. AGNSS received an application for the drug Tafamidis for the treatment of familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) to be included in national specialised commissioning arrangements. Following careful consideration of the applications, AGNSS provided its advice to Ministers. Ministers agreed with AGNSS that the available evidence of effectiveness was insufficient to justify routine commissioning of Tafamidis for the treatment of familial amyloid polyneuropathy in England.
The documents that AGNSS used at its September 2012 meeting to reach its recommendation to Ministers are as follows:
- Scope for AGNSS review of Tafamidis for FAP
- Manufacturer’s submission
- Health Technology Assessment report
- Patient submission
- Summary paper
The conclusions that AGNSS reached are detailed in:
Some of these documents have been redacted because they contain information that is commercially sensitive. Some patient numbers have also been redacted because they might allow identification of individuals.
Documents will be published on this site as they become available.
The membership of AGNSS is as follows:
|
AGNSS Organisation |
AGNSS Organisation Member |
|
Chair |
Professor Michael Arthur |
|
Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health (Vice Chair) |
Professor Terence Stephenson |
|
Royal College of Physicians |
Dr Patrick Cadigan |
|
Royal College of Pathologists |
Professor Adrian Newland |
|
Royal College of Psychiatrists |
Professor Sue Bailey |
|
Faculty of Public Health |
Dr Jonathan Howell |
|
Royal College of Surgeons |
Mr Maurice Hawthorne |
|
Royal College of GPs |
Dr Imran Rafi |
|
Host SHA CE London |
Dame Ruth Carnall |
|
SHA Finance Director |
Vanessa Harris |
|
SHA Medical Director |
Dr Chris Welsh |
|
PCT CE with specialised commissioning experience |
Ailsa Claire |
|
PCT CE with specialised commissioning experience |
Andrew Donald |
|
PCT CE with specialised commissioning experience |
Chris Reed |
|
Lay Member |
Professor Michael Simmonds |
|
Lay Member |
Linn Phipps |
|
Patients/Carers |
Neeta Mehta |
|
Patients/Carers |
William Savage |
|
HTA Director |
Professor Tom Walley |
|
Health Economist |
Professor Ron Akehurst |
|
Geneticist |
Dr Trevor Cole |
|
Pharmacist |
Professor Ann Jacklin |
|
Ethicist |
Dr Mark Sheehan |
