NHS to be Called Out if NICE Guidance Not Followed
The United Kingdom health minister said local National Health Service (NHS) organizations must provide a list of drugs approved by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), according to a report in PMLive.
Health minister Paul Burstow said the plan would get rid of drug blacklists and balance out pricing across the country. He said NHS would have no excuse not to provide the information with a new scorecard.
"Patients have a right to drugs and treatments that have been approved by NICE. This new regime will be a catalyst for change - we are determined to eradicate variation and drive up standards for everyone," Burstow said in the PMLive report.
A new group has also been established to help NHS with the NICE guidelines. While the move is applauded by some, the NHS Confederation, representing managers in the health service, were more cautious, according to the report.
"It is also important to remember that the NHS is facing an unprecedented financial challenge and organizations must live within their means while providing high quality care," deputy chief executive David Stout said in the PMLive report. "The reality is we can only afford to provide new drugs or treatments where they are cost effective and demonstrably add real patient benefits."
The scorecard is expected to be available by the fall.
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