NICE has announced that hospital and primary care trusts will be rated on a publicly available innovation scorecard measuring which trusts are adopting the latest NICE-approved treatments and drugs most quickly.
It is hoped that making such information available will ensure a more consistent response to national guidance, reduce geographical variations and bring an end to 'postcode prescribing'.
Health Minister Paul Burstow has stated that trusts will be expected to explain why NICE-approved treatments are not available in their area where that appears to be the case.
Action: Clinicians should be aware of this proposed scorecard system. Patients may raise questions with individual clinicians based on the reported scorecard performance in their area.