§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what resources have been allocated to implement the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; and how implementation will be monitored. [158507]
§ Dr. LadymanFunding to implement the guidance and recommendations of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) is not separately identified in primary care trust (PCT) allocations. The national health service is currently receiving the largest sustained increase in funding in its history, so the question of affordability of NICE recommendations should not be an issue. The total of PCT allocations is £45 billion for 2003–04, £49.3 billion for 2004–05 and £53.9 billion for 2005–06. This represents an increase of £12.7 billion, or an average of 30.8 per cent. over the three years 2003–04 to 2005–06.
The Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection will inspect against healthcare standards. The Health Care Standards were published on 1456W 10 February 2004 and are now out for consultation. NICE guidance features at two places within the standards. Within the "core" standards (under "clinical and cost effectiveness"), NICE appraisals are included; and under the "developmental" standards, NICE clinical guidelines are shown. The developmental standards are aspirational and for the NHS to implement over a longer period of time.