How to apply for national designation
Screening Programmes
Policy on establishing new screening services is set by the Scottish Government, under advice from the UK National Screening Committee.
Specialist Services and National Managed Clinical Networks
For national specialist services and national managed clinical networks, there is an annual application process. The National Services Advisory Group [NSAG] advises NHS Board Chief Executives and the Scottish Minister for Health on the designation and de-designation of national specialist services and networks.
The National Services Advisory Group
All proposed national specialist services and national managed clinical networks are evaluated by the National Services Advisory Group (NSAG), which advises NHS Board Chief Executives, the Scottish Government Health Directorate and the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing on the designation of national specialist services.
The Group is chaired by Professor Tony Wells, Chief Executive of NHS Tayside, and contains representatives of:
- NHS Board Chief Executives
- NHS Directors of Public Health
- NHS Directors of Finance
- The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges
- The Royal College of GPs
- The Scottish Association of Health Councils
- Health Economists
There are also observers from:
- The Scottish Government Health Directorates
- The English National Services Commissioning Advisory Group (NSCAG)
Application process
To become a nationally designated specialised service or national managed clinical network, services/networks must apply in writing to NSAG.
Because it is normally for individual NHS Boards to ensure the health of their populations, national designation and funding is limited to the very specialist end of healthcare provision. By their very nature, the need for these services will be relatively low and/or unpredictable and they will be delivered from either one site or a small number of sites and by a select group of clinicians.
To ensure that national funding is given on a fair and equitable basis and is targeted to best effect, NSAG have developed criteria by which to assess all applications [you can download these below]. They include information on:
- Clinical need
- Incidence and prevalence
- Potential impact on health inequalities
- Clinical audit
- The clinical team needed to provide the service
- Proven effectiveness of treatment
- Cost effectiveness
NSAG measure all applications against these criteria before providing their advice to the NHS Board Chief Executives. If the NHS Boards approve NSAG's recommendations, then they ask the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing to formally designate the applicant.
Applications documentation
This is the application pack for proposed new national specialist services and national managed clinical networks:
Applications letter [2 pages, 26Kb]
