Medicines and treatments.
Local decision making for specific medicines and treatments
NHS Devon is responsible for ensuring that the treatments provided for the local population represent the best use of the NHS budget allocated to us for our population’s health services.
In Devon, these decisions are made by the Clinical Policy Recommendation Committee, which makes recommendations to the Integrated Care Board.
The committee includes GPs/clinicians, lay members from the general public, healthcare professionals from the local NHS and public health teams. They consider the condition, available treatment options, evidence of benefit, cost-effectiveness and affordability and receive input from relevant healthcare professionals.
Click here to view details of the committee appeals process and other governance documentation (including committee minutes and annual reports).
The committee is supported by the Clinical Policy Engagement and Consultation Panel, which considers the wider public interest issues to determine the need for any further engagement or formal consultation prior to a final decision being taken by NHS Devon. Click here to view the minutes, annual reports and other governance documentation of the panel.
Once decisions are approved by the Integrated Care Board, commissioning policies are published. Please also see advice on the implementation of policies affecting patient referral.
The Individual Funding Panel operates alongside the Clinical Policy Recommendation Committee where a patient or their clinician consider there are reasons why their treatment should be different to a policy.
Patient choice and the NHS Constitution
As part of the One Devon Partnership, NHS Devon is committed to enabling patient choice as set out in the NHS Constitution.
In England, under the NHS Constitution, patients have the right to access consultant-led, non-emergency treatment within a maximum of 18 weeks, or for the NHS to take all reasonable steps to offer a range of alternative providers if this is not possible.
Most patients also have the right to choose which hospital provider they are referred to.
Exceptions include emergency and urgent services, cancer, maternity and mental health services. For example, if individuals need to be seen urgently by a specialist (such as for severe chest pain) they will be sent where they’ll be seen most quickly.
NHS Devon recognises that sometimes referrals are made outside the area that are not subject to patient choice.
To maximise convenience for patients and investment in local services, NHS Devon actively promotes local referrals wherever a clinically equivalent service exists, though patient choice will be respected.
Treatment in another European Economic Area country
Under the European Union Directive on patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare, patients are entitled to travel to a European Economic Area (EEA) country to purchase treatment.
If the treatment is medically necessary and the same as, or equivalent to, a service that they would be eligible to receive under the NHS, they can apply to NHS Devon for prior approval. This is in order to ensure equity of treatment for all our residents. Reimbursement will not be authorised without prior approval.
The Directive covers UK patients choosing to be treated in another EEA country. This does not cover patients in England choosing to access treatment in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Patients seeking treatment in another EEA country should seek advice from NHS Devon’s Individual Funding Panel.
