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<p>The Secretary of State for Health, in his Annual Assessment of National Health
Service England’s Annual Report for the last financial year (2013-14), has stated
that “[NHS England] must […] ensure that spending controls are effective, particularly
around specialised commissioning.” A copy of the Secretary of State’s Annual Assessment
has been placed in the library.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Section 3B(1)(d) of
the National Health Service Act 2006, as amended by the Health and Social Care Act
2012, gives the Secretary of State the power to require the NHS Commissioning Board
(known as NHS England) to commission prescribed services or facilities in relation
to England by making regulations. Using this power, the Secretary of State may require
NHS England to commission specialised services for people with rare or very rare conditions.
Before deciding whether to make regulations, the Secretary of State must (a) obtain
appropriate advice for that purpose and (b) consult NHS England. The Prescribed Specialised
Services Advisory Group (PSSAG) is a Department of Health appointed expert committee
which was established in 2013 to provide the Secretary of State with this advice.
NHS England commissions all the services listed in Schedule 4 of The National Health
Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and
Standing Rules) Regulations 2012.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The scope of specialised
services directly commissioned by NHS England is kept under review.</p><p> </p>
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