§ John Mann:To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he gives to NHS trusts on the funding of treatments that will not be appraised by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence. [143680]
§ Ms Rosie Winterton:In August 1999, the Department issued Health Service Circular 1999/176, which asks national health service bodies to continue with local arrangements for the managed introduction of new technologies where guidance from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence is not available at the time the technology first becomes available. These arrangements should involve an assessment of all the available evidence.