NICE to help NHS use resources more effectively

Good practice commissioning guides: the latest NICE initiative to promote cost-effectiveness across the NHS

NICE is once again under fire from stakeholder groups and the public for taking cost-effectiveness into account when making decisions.

As reported in this month's News, the appeals against draft guidance on the use of drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease have not been upheld.1

As part of its unenviable role both to help the NHS make health services more equitable across the country, and to promote cost-effectiveness, NICE has announced the introduction of good practice commissioning guides.

The aim of these internet-based guides is to reduce spending on treatments that do not represent good value for money, or improve patient care.

These electronic commissioning tools will set benchmarks to determine the level of service needed for a particular area, and should help the user answer the following five questions:

Why commission this service?
What service specification is required to provide an effective service?
What level of service do I need locally?
What resources will be required locally?
What mechanisms are available for quality and corporate assurance?

NICE Implementation Systems Director, Dr Gillian Leng, has highlighted the cost saving role of these interactive tools. She stated: 'They set benchmarks for commissioning and provide data for local comparison with those benchmarks. An interactive spreadsheet helps decision makers calculate the associated costs and savings involved in any service changes.'

The first five guides are to be launched initially on the following areas:

upper gastrointestinal endoscopy
anticoagulation in atrial fibrillation
pulmonary rehabilitation for COPD
assisted discharge scheme for COPD
assessment of the diabetic foot.

With 10 guides planned every year (from autumn 2007), and updated annually, this initiative could result in cost savings across all areas of health care.

Julia Morris, Editor

julia.morris@mgp.ltd.uk

References

www.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?o=373237