Review promises to end postcode lottery for drugs

Patients will have the right to access all drugs and treatments approved by NICE no matter where they live, according to the NHS Next Stage Review.

The review states that the government will 'take steps to end the so-called "postcode lottery" for new drugs and treatments'. Patients will also have the right to expect that local decisions on funding for drugs or other treatments not approved by the institute are made rationally and based firmly on clinical evidence, rather than purely local financial concerns.

The report also calls on the institute to appraise new drugs and treatments at a faster rate than is currently the case, so that decisions are issued within a few months.

Additionally, a new national quality board will offer 'transparent advice' to ministers on what the priorities should be for the clinical standards the organisation sets.