Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the next step is in the commissioning of a specialised service after a positive recommendation by the Prescribed Specialised Services Advisory Group (PSSAG); whether services recommended for commissioning by PSSAG in September 2014 will be funded from April 2015; when the PSSAG recommendations on the application for a specialised service for Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency will be published; and if he will make a statement.

The Prescribed Specialised Services Advisory Group (PSSAG) is a Department of Health expert committee which provides advice to Ministers on which services should be prescribed in regulations for national commissioning by the NHS Commissioning Board (NHS England).

PSSAG makes recommendations to Ministers, who are obliged under section 3B of the National Health Service Act 2006 to take appropriate advice and to consult with NHS England before making regulations to prescribe particular services as specialised services for NHS England commissioning. Decisions on the timing of any changes to commissioning responsibilities will take account of advice from PSSAG and any consultation response from NHS England.

Where a service is prescribed for national commissioning, NHS England becomes responsible for making decisions on the commissioning of that service, including funding of specific interventions as part of that service. We understand from NHS England that where it becomes the responsible commissioner for a service, it considers the funding priority of the service through its Clinical Priorities Advisory Group.

We understand the Alpha 1 Alliance has worked with NHS England and the Specialised Respiratory Clinical Reference Group to develop a proposal for the national commissioning of services for patients with alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency, which will be put to PSSAG for consideration at its next meeting on 30 September. A report containing PSSAG’s recommendations will be published once Ministers have made decisions on any associated changes.