Priorities Forum

Priority Setting

A countywide Priorities Forum makes recommendations about which drugs and treatments should be low priority and which should be high priority. It provides an advisory service to NHS Oxfordshire's Clinical Executive, to help them make difficult decisions on prioritisation. The South Central Priorities Support Unit provides an independent service to all Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in the region. They undertake literature searches and produce evidence based reviews, which are then submitted to individual PCTs' priorities committees. NHS Oxfordshire has a process in place to consider referrals for individual patients for treatments that are possible exceptions to previously agreed policy, or not covered by contracts.

View Priorities Forum policies (lavender statements) on priority setting >> (clicking this link will take you to another website)

The Priorities Forum

The functions of the Forum can be summarised as follows:

  • To consider locally identified innovations
  • To consider potential disinvestments
  • To produce and review lavender statements (services of low priority)
  • To develop and use criteria for prioritisation, to be used as part of an annual prioritisation process to feed into the Service and Financial Framework
  • To advise on local implementation of NICE guidance

Read the forum minutes >> (clicking this link will take you to another website)

Read the Terms of Reference (PDF File: size 43 KB)

Individual Patient Treatment Requests

The NHS in Oxfordshire will only fund low priority treatments for individual patients in exceptional circumstances. If a GP or consultant believes that a patient is exceptional, their case will be referred to NHS Oxfordshire and considered through their due process (see link to IPR policy below). Such requests should be addressed to the Healthcare Priorities Team at NHS Oxfordshire.

Read the IPR Policy (PDF File: size 154 KB)

The Ethical Framework

The South Central Priority Setting Unit, the Oxfordshire Priorities Forum and the Healthcare Priorities Team use the following ethical framework for their decision making process:

  • Effectiveness - evidence of benefit and possible side effects of treatment
  • Equity - ensures that patients suffering to a similar degree are treated equally
  • Patient Choice - views of patient groups and individuals are considered

Find out more >> (pdf file; size 82.0 KB)

For enquiries regarding priorities setting, please contact priorities.oxfordshirepct@nhs.net