New measures unveiled to improve access to NICE-approved drugs

The government has announced a series of measures designed to ensure that all parts of the NHS introduce new therapies as efficiently as possible.

Regulations will be implemented this autumn to end the current practice of certain parts of the country introducing new therapies approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) immediately, while other areas are made to wait.

Under the new rules, an innovation scorecard will be published to show which organisations are quickly adopting the latest treatments, meaning other bodies will need to explain why there is a delay.

Meanwhile, a special group will also be set up to help local NHS branches make the changes needed to accommodate these new therapy options rapidly.

Health minister Paul Burstow said: "This new regime will be a catalyst for change – we are determined to eradicate variation and drive up standards for everyone."

NICE was established as a special health authority in 1999 with the aim of reducing variation in the availability and quality of NHS treatments and care, goals which these new measures will aim to further support.