The Advisory Group for National Specialised Services (AGNSS) will consider a small number of highly specialised new drugs and technologies. AGNSS’s role will be to make recommendations to Ministers about whether the drugs and technologies it considers are appropriate for commissioning at a national level.
AGNSS will only consider drugs and technologies that NICE decides are not suitable for a NICE appraisal because of the very small patient numbers involved. The NICE website has helpful information about how the NICE topic selection process works.
Manufacturers of drugs and devices should not apply direct to AGNSS. Further information about the new technologies suitable for AGNSS to consider are included in the statement of scope which provides further information about wich products, services and technologies can be considered for national commissioning.
AGNSS will use a decision-making framework criteria when considering new drugs and technologies. As a first step before deciding whether a service should be considered for national commissioning, the following criteria will be taken into account:
1. The product, service or technology will usually consist of no more than 500 patients and/or four centres in England.
2. The product, service, or technology is clearly defined.
3. The clinical need for national commissioning of the product, service, or technology is significant and well defined.
4. There is a clear clinical pathway for the product, service, or technology, including criteria for referring patients and a co-ordination strategy for conditions that are served by more than one clinical specialty.
5. The target patient group or subset is distinct for clinical reasons.
6. There will be significant benefits from national commissioning and concentrated provision, which might include improved clinical quality, focused clinical expertise, more efficient use of NHS resources.
7. The product, service or technology will have a greater clinical benefit than alternative forms of care.
8. The product, service or technology can be accessed by all patients who are eligible for NHS treatment.
9. There is enough evidence to determine that a full review of the product, service, or technology will be useful.
AGNSS is developing the process for considering new drugs and technologies and will run a pilot from October 2010. Further guidance will be published after the pilot is completed.
The Court of Appeal has granted the Joint Committee of PCTs leave to appeal the response to the Judicial Review by the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust. A full hearing will be held on...
The Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts' urgent appeal in response to the Judicial Review by the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust will be heard by the Court of Appeal. The Court o...
The Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts' urgent appeal in response to the Judicial Review by the Royal Brompton Hospital will be heard by the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal has granted the J...
Jeremy Glyde, Safe and Sustainable Programme Director, said: “In November 2011 the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts (JCPCT) invited all 11 centres providing children’s congenital he...
Sir Neil McKay CB, Chair of the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts, said: “We have today lodged the application to appeal the recent ruling by the High Court in response to the claim for Ju...
