Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG)
The Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) makes recommendations on NHS England’s approach to commissioning services, treatments and technologies, and considers which of these should be prioritised for investment. Its scope includes all specialised services of NHS England.
CPAG assesses medicines, medical devices and treatments according to their clinical effectiveness, benefit for patients and value for money. It considers recommendations from teams covering NHS England’s specialised commissioning responsibilities, and takes into account detailed information about the financial impact.
It seeks to determine that commissioning approaches have:
- been developed with the engagement of clinicians from policy or service specification working groups and clinical reference groups
- been developed with public and patient engagement to a level proportionate with the impact of the decision
- included consideration of the need to promote equity of access and tackle health inequalities
- been informed by the clinical evidence base
- considered consistency with other commissioning policies of NHS England
CPAG is not a decision-making body. Rather, it makes formal recommendations to NHS England about the commissioning of services in those circumstances where there could be a substantial change in service provision.
Making decisions about which new treatments to fund:
Membership
CPAG is able to call on the full range of expertise of its members to make recommendations: its independent chair, patient and public voice representatives and members with clinical, commissioning and financial expertise.
- David Crundwell, Chair
- Matthew Day, Director of Clinical Commissioning, National Specialised Commissioning, NHS England
- Angela Kelly, Deputy Director of Quality and Nursing, Specialised Commissioning, NHS England
- Robert Sherwin, Regional Medical Director of Commissioning for East of England, NHS England
- Emma Redfern, Regional Medical Director for South West, NHS England
- Simon Barton, Regional Medical Director for London, NHS England
- Robert Cornall, Regional Director for North East and Yorkshire, NHS England
- Alison Finney, Patient and Public Vote Member
- Annette Furley, Patient and Public Voice Member
- Kevin Toole, Patient and Public Voice Member
- Kerr Wilson, Patient and Public Voice Member
In attendance:
- James Palmer, National Medical Director of Specialised Services, NHS England
- Anthony Kessel, Deputy National Medical Director, Specialised Services, NHS England
- Donna Hakes, Deputy Director of Clinical Effectiveness, Specialised Services, NHS England
- Katie Cusick, Deputy Director of Acute Programmes, Specialised Commissioning, NHS England
- Nicola McCulloch, Deputy Director Cancer Commissioning, Specialised Commissioning, NHS England
- Ayesha Ali, Medical Advisor to Highly Specialised Commissioning, NHS England
- Mandy Matthews, Senior Pharmacy Lead, Specialised Commissioning, NHS England
- Aggie Rawlings, Governance Manager, Clinical Effectiveness, Specialised Services, NHS England
- The Specialised Commissioning Programme of Care Senior Manager relevant to the policy proposition or other proposals being considered
Observers – representatives from the devolved nations:
- Iolo Doull, Wales
- Craig Wheelans, Scotland