Government outlines plans on specialised NHS service provision

The government has accepted the core recommendations of a new Clinical Advisory Group report on the national commissioning of specialised services within the NHS.

From April 2013, the commissioning of health services for rare and uncommon conditions and illnesses such as AIDS, cleft lips and genetic disorders will be reorganised and implemented on a wider scale.

The NHS Commissioning Board is developing a new national model aimed at improving service access, quality and efficiency, with the Clinical Advisory Group having put forward recommendations on which services should be rolled out across the country.

By implementing these ideas, the Department of Health will be able to ensure more patients can get easier access to these vital therapies.

Health minister Lord Howe said it is vital that services for patients with rare and uncommon conditions "are not only available to the public, but that they are of the highest possible quality".

In July 2012, it was announced that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence will take over responsibility for the assessment of high-cost drugs for people with rare diseases from the Advisory Group for National Specialised Services.