The setting of national standards should help contribute to ensuring consistency and equity in the access of NHS care.
There is a real risk that the "postcode lottery" will worsen further: even in today’s nationally-managed NHS, some patients are refused innovative treatments that offer the prospect of better quality of life and extended life that other patients, in comparable countries receive under their health service. Comparing UK access to innovative treatment in local settings as well as in comparable countries should be a readily-used measure.
Our response covers:
The international comparison of survival rates and mortality for specific diseases
The introduction of Quality Outcomes into the heart of the NHS agenda
Our belief that improving access to the latest medicines will generate improvements in the length and quality of life of patients and contribute, in part, to improving health outcomes in the UK
The Quality Standards, and their underpinning principles to drive best practice (only if properly designed and introduced)
The contribution of the pharmaceutical industry to the ambitious task ahead of developing 150 Quality Standards in the next five years
Implementation measures that are required to ensure that the Quality Standards are adhered to with agreed accountability, including the QIPP programme, Better Care Better Value indicators, Quality Outcomes Framework and General Medical Services contracts
Further information
For further information please download the full ABPI response to this consultation Transparency in outcomes – a framework for the NHS (PDF, 190KB)